Laboratory Overview

The Laboratory area covers the operational core of EaseLab — from sample registration through automated analyzer imports to verified patient results. These workflows sit alongside reception and billing in the main lab portal.

Laboratory modules

Module	Route	Primary users
Samples	/samples	Phlebotomy, reception
Results	/results	Technicians, pathologists
Analyzers	/analyzers	IT, lab supervisor
Result entry	Embedded workflow	Bench staff

flowchart TB
    REG[Patient registered] --> INV[Invoice / tests ordered]
    INV --> COL[Sample collection]
    COL --> BAR[Barcode assigned]
    BAR --> BENCH[Bench processing]
    BENCH --> ANA[Analyzer optional]
    ANA --> ENTRY[Result entry]
    ENTRY --> VER[Verification]
    VER --> DEL[Report delivery]

End-to-end specimen lifecycle

1. Order — Tests selected on invoice (Tenant Portal).
2. Collection — Sample drawn; barcode generated (sample_collection permission).
3. Accessioning — Sample appears in Samples worklist.
4. Processing — Department routing per catalog.
5. Result capture — Manual entry or analyzer ingest.
6. Verification — Senior staff sign-off (result_verification.edit).
7. Delivery — Print, SMS, email, or public lookup.

Permission groups (Patients)

Laboratory staff typically receive permissions from the Patients group:

Module	Bench need
samples	View and update sample status
results_entry	Enter analyte values
result_verification	Approve reports
pending_samples / delayed_samples	Report access
report_delivery	Release to patient

See the full matrix in Roles & Permissions.

Department routing

Tests belong to departments configured in Admin. Samples inherit department queues:

• Hematology — CBC, coagulation
• Biochemistry — LFT, RFT, lipids
• Serology — infectious disease panels
• Microbiology — cultures with longer TAT

Turnaround time reports measure performance per department.

Analyzer vs manual entry

Path	When to use
Analyzer integration	High-volume chemistry, hematology analyzers
Manual result entry	Microscopy, manual kits, send-outs
Mixed	Auto-import then manual review for flags

Barcode discipline

Analyzer auto-import matches on barcode. Mismatched barcodes create orphan results in the inbox — train phlebotomy to scan before centrifugation.

Quality control hooks

Control	EaseLab feature
Reference ranges	Catalog parameters
Critical values	Flagging on entry
Verification	Two-person rule optional by policy
Delayed sample alerts	Operational reports

Dashboard integration

The lab dashboard surfaces:

• Pending samples count
• Results awaiting verification
• Analyzer imports today
• Delayed specimens

Multi-center operations

Collection centers may register samples remotely while processing occurs at the central lab. Barcodes unify tracking across sites.

Read-only mode impact

In read-only mode:

• View samples and results
• Cannot collect new samples, enter results, or verify
• Analyzer ingest may be rejected with TENANT_LOCKED

Related documentation

• Samples
• Results
• Analyzers & Integration
• Result Entry & Verification
• How-To: Enter & Verify Results