Cerner teams with 3 Canadian hospitals on automated lab system
Cerner is working with the Ottawa Hospital (TOH) and two other members of the Eastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association (EORLA) to implement an enhanced automated lab system that will connect the three laboratories to local hospitals.

During the initial phase of the project, all three hospitals—TOH, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario and the Cornwall Community Hospital—will implement Cerner’s PathNet Laboratory Information System (LIS) to increase efficiency and improve access to laboratory information. PathNet offers clinicians integrated technology to operate and manage sides of the laboratory and will connect laboratory information with patients’ EHRs.

In addition, TOH will use Cerner Millennium technology to digitize individual EHRs, the Kansas City, Mo.-based company said.

Other Cerner technology will be used to automate clinical, financial and managerial processes in the laboratory, including those in hematology, coagulation, chemistry, urinalysis, immunology and phlebotomy. In addition to the PathNet General Laboratory, Microbiology and Transfusion Medicine modules, Cerner’s molecular diagnostics system--PathNet Helix--also will be implemented to automate genetic lab testing.

Cerner’s Bridge Medical transfusion management system will be deployed as part of the project. TOH will also use Cerner's CareAware architecture to facilitate connectivity between laboratory medical devices and EHRs, according to the company.

The automation of laboratory processes will benefit clinicians and EORLA members in several ways, Cerner said, including:
  • Access to lab results that provide a complete picture of the patient's test results and other vital information for decision making;
  • Reduced errors through verification of patient demographics, test results and operational quality controls;
  • Specimen management with tools to create collection labels and lists containing the information required based on collection parameters; and
  • Rescheduling of missed collections and the ability to print labels.
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