Get middleware solution for Laboratory in surgical pathology

Posted by Ainsley Aiken on October 24th, 2019

The modern laboratories are facing some unique challenges that were not a factor to date. The increased call to reduce costs, improve output, increase productivity, and minimizing turnaround time has led to the majority of the labs moving to automation by implementing the Lab Middleware System. The healthcare IT industry is filled with a plethora of solutions for labs; all these come in a variety of shapes and sizes. These solutions for labs are produced by a variety of developers. This diversity of developers has today provided a new challenge. This challenge is primarily caused by technology being non-standardized and solutions being non-compatible with each other. So what has happened now is that each technology has become an independent island and is not coordinating amongst each other, be it in the field of processes, automation, control, support, or others. This failure to communicate between systems is leaving scope for human intervention, which can, at times, be inefficient or ineffective. This lack of compatibility and support between lab software technologies can be costly.

But with the advancement of technology, the solution to this problem exists today, and the solution is called ‘Middleware.’

What is meant by Middleware?

In layman terms, Middleware is software that comes in the middle and serves as a bridge between two technologies. So software developed for the reason of connecting different techniques to enable automation is called Middleware.

A middleware solution allows labs to upgrade their legacy laboratory information systems by this lab middleware technology.

Some common benefits associated with Middleware are:

• Scalability & Flexibility
• New Features Addition
• Efficiency and Performance Increase
• Decreased scope of human intervention
• Better return on Investment

Why is Middleware software so essential?

Lab Middleware is much more than an interface between two devices. It is a scalable connectivity solution that can handle multiple instruments, multiple LISs, multiple users, and possibly multiple sites. It can provide added-value functionality in its use of the information being exchanged between devices, such as instrument flags and status messages. Middleware software automatically triggers relevant actions in real-time upon receiving test orders or test results. And it can be used as a powerful, user-definable, rule-based system for auto verification or as a comprehensive specimen-management system.

Middleware helps the Laboratory by ensuring productivity, optimizing the use of resources, and minimizing turnaround times without compromising the quality and accuracy of the information supplied.