According to new research from Kalorama Information, the laboratory information systems (LIS) market should grow 6% annually over the next few years from its 2010 level of $800M. The report includes this interesting stat – labor accounts for more than 60% of the cost of producing test results. To drive down the percentage of manual labor needed to support the lab resulting process, the LIS will be asked to do a lot more than it is today.
Following are 4 attributes we believe laboratories will be looking for in a next-generation LIS…
1. Interoperability – interfacing ease and efficiency (EMR, multi-device, multi-channel, etc.)
2. Change – ability to morph as needed quickly (and won’t break the bank!)
3. Digital support – designed for increased adoption of molecular diagnostics and pathology
4. Analytics – better access and use of data
What other items would you list as important attributes for next-generation laboratory IT systems? Do you think these systems will be delivered in the cloud or provided by vendors as SaaS?