isoft adds new functionality to uk laboratory

5 February 2010
iSOFT adds new functionality to UK laboratory systems

iSOFT Group Limited, one of the worlds largest healthcare IT companies, will release a series of new functions for its i.Laboratory range of pathology solutions and create a UK-based development team to advance the capability of the laboratory business to meet local needs.
The new modules for i.Laboratory will be available ahead of a major user group forum at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Birmingham on 10-11 June. As well as a platform for demonstrating the new modules, iSOFT will also provide a forum for customers to inform future developments to realise the benefits of current systems.

To ensure iSOFTs UK customers remain at the forefront of laboratory information system technology (LIS), iSOFT has recently created a local development team in the UK. This will grow rapidly to provide a full laboratory development capacity focused on local requirements.

These significant developments clearly demonstrate our commitment to LIS customers in the UK and Ireland and to growing our market share, said Adrian Stevens, Managing Director of iSOFTs UK and Ireland business. The investment in technology and people is a reflection of the importance of the UK LIS market to iSOFT and we will continue to invest to maintain our leadership position.

The solutions being developed will provide significant new and updated functionality to meet customer needs and ensure they remain at the forefront of laboratory technology, Stevens said. Our approach means that users can take immediate advantage of powerful new functionality that will begin their journey on to a technology platform designed for the next phase of the evolution of laboratory services in the UK and globally. This means that even as our customers implement discrete functionality to improve business performance in one area or discipline, they will be building the organisation-wide capability to help deliver a laboratory service of the future. The new offerings will help manage information and reduce the time to turnaround test results and will improve the quality of care and cut costs, which is vital in the current economic climate.

Separately iSOFT has also been awarded a contract by NHS Connecting for Health to develop a solution for GPs and other primary care users to request pathology tests and receive results online. The module will work with all major GP systems and is planned for full release in the second half of 2010.

iSOFT has 150 customers in the NHS and Ireland for its laboratory solutions, giving it a 65% share of the market .

The UK development team will create new functions for all i.Laboratory Apex and i.Laboratory TP users, including:

GP Test Results Requesting and Reporting
Cellular Pathology module with full word processing and digital dictation
- Cancer Histopathology Reporting module
- Mortuary Module
- Cervical cytology
Business Intelligence
Additional functionality for disease management eGFR, stroke risk calculation and CHD risk calculation
New and improved Graphic User Interface
Dedicated laboratory interface manager
Digital solutions for lab-to-lab interconnectivity
Configurable dashboards
With a large installed base in Europe, iSOFT remains one of the continents largest providers of laboratory information systems, said Gary Cohen, iSOFTs Executive Chairman and CEO. These and other developments put us in prime position to capitalise on the growth in this sector and deliver solutions at a local and national level to meet the future needs of public and private laboratory services.