What is MedLIS?
MedLIS is a new electronic system to manage your laboratory tests. It will allow your healthcare provider to easily book tests and access your test results faster. Your information will now be stored in one place no matter where your test was done.
MedLIS is being introduced to improve quality of care and patient safety.
Where will MedLIS operate?
MedLIS will over time be available in all HSE funded labs. The system will allow both hospitals and GPs (family doctors) to electronically order tests and receive results.
How does it help?
MedLIS will make things more efficient for both you and your doctors.
- Helping your doctor order the right test for your symptoms, at the right time
- Faster access to your laboratory tests through your GP (doctor)
- Safer tracking of your samples
- Laboratory results in one place rather than in multiple systems
What information about me will be stored on MedLIS?
When your tests are processed by MedLIS, it will store a complete record of them in line with data protection regulations.
Who can see my information on MedLIS?
Healthcare providers with a legitimate reason to view your information will be able to see your information.
Will my information be shared with others?
In certain situations, healthcare professionals may share your information with staff from other healthcare facilities, or other people. They may do this to, for example:
- get a second opinion
- give your GP a copy of your hospital tests
- support hospital administration
- help process private health insurance claims
- follow legal responsibilities such as a court order
Will my information be used in other ways?
We may use your information to train staff and improve patient services.
General Information
The National MedLIS project aims to set up an integrated nation-wide laboratory information system.
This new system will improve the delivery of diagnostic laboratory medicine, healthcare quality efficiency and outcomes for more than 5.2 million people.
About the MedLIS project
The provision of high-quality laboratory services is a critical component of patient care. It includes diagnostic, monitoring and screening services.
Laboratory services are vital for the day-to-day operation of all healthcare services; both acute and community-based. Laboratories that provide services for testing of patient samples are located within acute hospitals mainly.
The project will take in the entire laboratory service across all public hospitals sites. There are 43 hospital laboratories providing diagnostic laboratory medicine nationwide.
The model will facilitate the electronic patient-centred storage of complete laboratory diagnostic data. Clinicians and other health care providers will have user-friendly access to the full laboratory information on each patient on a 24/7 basis.
The system will be implemented initially in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin. The plan is to roll it out nationally after this.
Benefits of the project
The MedLIS project will deliver significant benefits to the pathology service, clinicians and local health care providers within the local healthcare community who use the service.
These include:
- a reduction in test duplication
- the wider availability of results to healthcare providers
- faster electronic accessing of these results
- enhanced clinical audit,
- a more comprehensive and robustly stored patient laboratory record.
MedLIS will allow for laboratory information to be shared with relevant health care providers in line with clinical need and data protection requirements.
The system will have full audit capability in line with modern information governance standards applied to health systems globally.
The new system will support the clinical and business needs of all laboratories. It will also support HSE objectives in relation to laboratory services in the context of patient care for the next decade or so.
