FrontRunnerHC, Plymouth, Mass, has developed a new software solution called LabXchange. LabXchange has many immediate uses, including helping local and state governments and labs manage their covid-19 testing and future vaccination volume.

This vendor-agnostic electronic order entry system enables the automated capture and verification of patient information at the time a healthcare service or lab test is performed, and then transfers the information through integration into the client’s lab information management system. End users such as nurses, phlebotomists, and volunteers can use LabXchange to electronically register a patient for a covid-19 test. The software securely captures the patient information via embedded applications that enable a scan of a driver’s license or state ID and an image capture of an insurance card using web browsers on mobile devices. The user can then read in or affix a barcode to a specimen for transmission to contracted labs.

By reducing the need for manual entry of patients’ information, LabXchange helps eliminate inaccurate, missing, or incomplete demographic and insurance information and reduce the paperwork, errors, and time involved in the process. According to the Journal of AHIMA, “approximately 40% of patient demographic data has been missing from commercial laboratory test feeds for covid-19.”

The State of Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is now leveraging LabXchange to help accelerate its covid-19 testing throughout the state, from densely populated urban areas to rural hot spot communities using mobile testing sites. As Kansas rolls out the system, they expect to see a dramatic reduction in the time needed to collect and process each test and the potential for errors—good news for the overburdened staff and for those waiting in long lines to be tested.

In addition to the bottleneck at order entry, another challenge in the process is the large volume of specimens going into the lab at once that can create a traffic jam while patient data is manually checked. FrontRunnerHC CEO John (JD) Donnelly notes that “LabXchange not only helps streamline the process at the front end with order entry but also at the back end by helping to ensure that all the samples go into the lab with the right patient data.” 

With the ability to now streamline the full process, KDHE wants to ensure that the covid test results are shared with patients as soon as they are available. To accomplish this, KDHE is leveraging FrontRunnerHC’s patient connection solution in combination with LabXchange to notify patients via email or text (SMS) when their results are ready and allow them to view their results instantaneously.

For the implementation of LabXchange by the KDHE, FrontRunnerHC collaborated with Gunsalus’ team and Horizon Lab Systems’ team to configure Horizon LIMS, the Lab Information System Kansas has been using to run its lab operations. “All three of our organizations are committed to doing all we can to help curb the pandemic,” says Eric Dingfelder, president of Horizon Lab Systems. The collaboration between us is creating powerful results. We hope to help others follow Kansas’ lead.”

LabXchange is a natural progression to FrontRunnerHC’s portfolio of software solutions. “Accurate patient demographic and insurance information is a crucial first step to ensure the rest of the process goes smoothly,” says Donnellly. “Without it, healthcare organizations may forfeit revenue, incur unnecessary costs of rework, and waste valuable staff time, and patients can get surprise bills which often lead to dissatisfied referring physicians. We find the errors early and fix them.”

For more information, visit FrontRunnerHC. 

Featured image: LabXchange software can help labs manage their covid-19 testing and future vaccination volume. (Courtesy: FrontRunnerHC)