UK National Health Service

STARLIMS is being implemented in ten regional molecular genetics centers (RMGC) in the United Kingdom’s National Health Service. Dr. Stuart Bayliss of the North West Regional Molecular Genetics Service, St. Mary’s Hospital, Manchester, presented the project.

The RMGCs provide genetic testing and analysis services for clinics and physicians. The workflows required for this type of genetic testing are highly complex, often requiring several feedback mechanisms. In addition, the testing procedures required for each sample are dynamically redefined, as new information relating to the patient is discovered and submitted. Therefore, each sample may take significantly more resources and time to be completed than in traditional labs. One of the most important goals in these labs is to provide better patient services, which entails improving turnaround times and information dissemination.

According to Stuart Bayliss, each of the labs involved in the project independently evaluated several LIMS from leading vendors, “and STARLIMS was rated number one by all the participating labs.[…] STARLIMS is fantastic for us.” According to Bayliss, STARLIMS has been instrumental in getting the relevant information to the relevant person at the right time. To a large extent, STARLIMS has eliminated the need for time-consuming and error-prone manual re-entry of sample details. It has also helped streamline information sharing among the various laboratories, which operate using different workflows and processes. Among other benefits, STARLIMS has helped save crucial human resources. Previously, a PhD scientist spent a significant part of the work week providing status reports on samples. With the implementation of STARLIMS, clinics and physicians can obtain up-to-the-minute status reports via the web—realizing important human resource savings for the RMGC.
“The project has been a huge success in getting labs talking with each other and understanding each other’s needs,” said Bayliss. “The result of STARLIMS is a much better patient experience, and I cannot stress enough how important that is.”

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