Laboratory information system implementation and electronic health record integration: challenges, opportunities, and...

The laboratory information system (LIS) is an indispensable component of the modern clinical laboratory, underpinning day-to-day operations and playing a critical role in delivering quality patient care. Clinical laboratories are challenged to introduce new technologies within steady-state staffing, including navigating the complex process of implementing a new LIS. In recent years, a growing number of laboratories are transitioning to systems integrated within the EHR. The complexity increases further when LIS and EHR go live simultaneously, a scenario that is particularly challenging in integrated health systems. This review synthesizes the current literature as well as real-world experiences and lessons from the planning, build/validation, rollout readiness, stabilization, and optimization phases to offer practical strategies and operational insights for clinical laboratories undertaking LIS implementation, with particular attention to the unique considerations of concurrent EHR/LIS rollouts. Opportunities for future developments are also highlighted.