Billie’s Corner – Looking for Ways to Deal with Staff Shortages? Consider the Advantages of a Cloud-hosted LIS.
By Billie Whitehurst, CEO
Working in a fast-paced laboratory without adequate staff is stressful, and finding solutions to address laboratory staff shortages can be challenging. Because of the continuing decline in the number of qualified medical laboratory scientists, our industry is experiencing an increase in noncertified individuals performing low to high complexity testing. There are concerns that this situation may negatively impact the overall quality of laboratory services and present a potential threat to patient safety.
Reduce Workload Burden with Cloud-hosted LIS
As one solution to consider, there are myriad benefits of hosting your LIS in the cloud. A cloud-hosted LIS can help reduce the laboratory’s workload and allow laboratorians to focus on quality testing to support best patient care, without worrying about the IT side of the laboratory. With a cloud-hosted LIS, you have access to Orchard staff who have expertise in lab-specific IT challenges.
Improve System Reliability & Security
Orchard’s cloud services provide HIPAA-designed technology architectures that improve system reliability and increase the security of your data so that you don’t have to be concerned about your system being down or your PHI being at risk. System performance improves with Orchard managing your system and taking charge of your backups.
Though we hope that natural disasters never happen, the truth is that laboratories must be prepared for emergencies, such as the recent Hurricane Ian that devastated parts of Florida. Securing your patient data in the cloud strengthens your disaster recovery plan and makes it much easier to manage a catastrophic situation like a fire or hurricane. Your data is always secure and accessible.
Focus on Patient Care
The overall security and fewer hands needed for a cloud-hosted LIS result in significant cost efficiency gains and takes the burden off your internal staff. With Orchard® Cloud Services, your LIS is accessible and secure, and you can focus on running your lab efficiently and supporting the highest quality patient care.
