Addressing Molecular Diagnostic LIS Functionality Gaps: A JMD Response
In a 2018 article in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics (JMD), the authors — Charles Myers, Matthew Swadley, and Alexis Carter — identified key gaps in functionality in laboratory information systems (LIS) for molecular labs. To continue the conversation, we collaborated with the Cleveland Clinic’s Molecular Pathology Section lab team on a response. In our article published on the JMD website on January 28, 2022, we describe the work we did together to customize a laboratory information management system (LIMS) in a way that addresses the issues identified by Myers et. al.
The main gaps in LIS and LIMS functionality
Myers et. al set out to analyze commercial LIS products and instrument software to determine if they fulfill basic functions for molecular laboratories. The authors conducted a survey of 80 representatives of various molecular societies and identified several major gaps in functionality:
