Lab Worklist

February 2026 · 7 min

Overview

The Lab Worklist is the central operational screen for all laboratory staff -- phlebotomists, technicians, and pathologists. It provides a real-time view of every pending, in-progress, and recently completed test across all departments (Biochemistry, Haematology, Microbiology, Pathology, Serology).

The worklist dynamically updates as new orders arrive, samples are collected, and results are entered. Color-coded priority indicators ensure urgent and STAT orders are immediately visible, reducing turnaround time for critical results.

Worklist Layout & Filters

The worklist is organized into configurable columns:

• Patient Info -- Name, UHID, age, gender, ward/bed (for IPD), encounter type.
• Test Details -- Test name, panel/profile, sample type (blood, urine, CSF, etc.), tube type (EDTA, plain, fluoride).
• Priority -- Routine (white), Urgent (yellow), STAT (red pulsing). STAT orders pin to the top.
• Barcode -- Scannable barcode linked to the order and sample.
• Timeline -- Order time, collection time, receipt time, result time. Overdue items (beyond TAT threshold) are highlighted.
• Status -- Ordered, Collected, Received, In Progress, Result Entered, Validated, Reported.
• Assigned To -- Technician name (auto-assigned by section or manually overridden).

Filters: By date range, department/section, status, priority, ordering doctor, ward, and test name. Saved filter presets let each technician configure their personal default view.

Sample Collection

Phlebotomists work from the worklist to track collections:

1. Filter to 'Ordered' status to see pending collections.
2. For OPD patients, call the next patient from the collection queue.
3. Scan the patient wristband or verify identity verbally (name + UHID).
4. Scan or enter the barcode on the pre-printed label.
5. Collect the sample -- the system shows tube type, volume required, and special instructions (e.g., fasting, ice transport).
6. Mark as 'Collected' with timestamp.
7. For IPD patients, the phlebotomist sees bed-wise rounds with optimal collection order.

Rejection at collection (hemolysed sample, insufficient volume, wrong tube) is documented with a reason code and triggers a re-collection order.

Result Entry & Validation

Technicians enter results from the worklist:

1. Open a 'Received' test.
2. Enter numeric or qualitative results for each parameter.
3. The system instantly validates against:
   • Normal ranges (age/gender-specific) -- Out-of-range values are highlighted.
   • Critical values (panic values) -- Triggers an immediate alert to the ordering doctor with mandatory acknowledgment.
   • Delta check -- Compares with the patient's previous result. A large change flags for review.
   • Absurd values -- Impossible results (e.g., negative haemoglobin) are blocked.
4. Attach comments or notes if needed.
5. Submit for pathologist validation.

Pathologist Review: The validating pathologist sees a review queue with all pending results. They can approve, reject (with reason), or modify results. Approved results are instantly available in the patient's EMR and can trigger auto-printing.

Analyzer Integration

For labs with automated analyzers (Beckman, Roche, Siemens, Mindray, Sysmex), Bio-Ecko supports bi-directional LIS-analyzer integration:

• Host Query -- The analyzer requests patient/test info from the LIS using the barcode.
• Result Upload -- Analyzer sends results directly into the LIS. The technician sees pre-filled values on the worklist.
• QC Integration -- Daily QC results from the analyzer flow into the QC module for Levy-Jennings tracking.

This eliminates manual transcription errors and speeds up result turnaround. The system supports HL7 and ASTM protocols.

Turnaround Time (TAT) Monitoring

TAT is tracked at every stage: Order-to-Collection, Collection-to-Receipt, Receipt-to-Result, Result-to-Validation, Validation-to-Report.

• Real-time TAT Dashboard -- A live counter on each worklist item shows elapsed time. Items approaching or exceeding the TAT threshold change color (yellow > orange > red).
• TAT Alerts -- Automated escalation: if a STAT test is not resulted within the configured window (e.g., 60 minutes), the lab supervisor and ordering doctor receive a push notification.
• TAT Reports -- Daily/weekly/monthly TAT analysis by section, test type, and shift. Identify bottlenecks (e.g., slow collection rounds, analyzer downtime) and track improvement over time.

Notes

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