If you are a pathology group or laboratory, how do your referring physicians want to receive report information?

Fax? Web Portal? EMR interface?The answer is something along the lines of…”the way they ask for it, when they ask for it!”  Right?  To compete against the mega, commercial labs, pathology report distribution flexibility is essential.  Not only is it important to be able to provide this flexibility, but it is important to your bottom line that it is cost effective.  Below are three (3) ways to achieve this goal:

1) Make sure your LIS is designed to foster distribution flexibility.  If not, work with a vendor that can “overlay”  or replace your legacy system and provide the needed flexibility.

2) Utilize an integration engine  or an integration partner that will facilitate efficient EMR interfacing and keep costs in check on  your behalf.

3) Understand when an EMR interface is truly needed/justified or if other distribution options are more appropriate.  Check out a previous post on this topic.