LABORATORY CONNECTORS
Orders & Specimens
4 of 8Manage the complete pre-analytical workflow from clinician request to specimen ready for analysis. Ensure accurate orders, correct patient and specimen identity, and traceable status at every step.
Pre-analyticalTraceableStandards-basedSafeAuditable
Order & specimen lifecycle overview
1
Order created
Clinician creates lab order in Mediloop / HIS
2
Order sent
ORM / FHIR ServiceRequest sent to LIS
3
Accessioned
LIS assigns accession number
4
Specimen ID
Barcode labels generated
5
Collected
Specimen collected with container
6
Transported
Specimen transported to lab
7
Received
Lab receives and verifies specimen
8
Aliquoted
Aliquot prepared if required
9
Ready for analysis
Specimen ready for testing
10
Analyzed
Testing performed on analyzers
11
Results
Results sent to LIS
Order details
ServiceRequest / Order (FHIR or HL7)
Test codes (LOINC) and panels
Priority — Routine, Urgent, STAT
Fasting / collection instructions
Clinical notes and diagnosis context
Referring clinician and department
Collection date/time windows
Specimen requirements and container
Specimen identification
Unique accession number (LIS)
Specimen ID / barcode
Patient ID and demographics
Collection date & time
Collector / phlebotomist
Collection location
Specimen type
Container / additive / volume
Specimen requirements
Specimen type and source
Container / tube type
Additive / preservative
Minimum volume
Temperature requirements
Stability / transport time
Special handling
Rejection criteria
Status tracking
Requested — order created
Scheduled — collection planned
Collected — specimen collected
In Transit — specimen in transport
Received — specimen received
Rejected — specimen rejected
Ready — ready for analysis
In Analysis — testing in progress
Completed — analysis complete
Cancelled — order cancelled
Order ↔ LIS messages — HL7 v2
| Message | Purpose |
|---|---|
| ORM^O01 | Placer order — new / modify / cancel |
| ORR^O02 | Order response / acknowledgment |
| QAK^Q01 | Query acknowledgment |
| QPD^Q01 | Query patient demographics |
| QRY^A19 | Query order / result status |
FHIR representation
| Resource | Purpose |
|---|---|
| ServiceRequest | Laboratory order |
| Specimen | Specimen details and lifecycle |
| DiagnosticReport | Final laboratory report |
| Observation | Individual result / measurement |
| DetectedIssue | Specimen rejection / issues |
| Task | Collection / transport task |
LOINC codes should be used for tests and observations.
Specimen events
Collection — specimen collected
Transport — specimen shipped
Receipt — lab received specimen
Verification — identity / integrity verified
Aliquot — aliquot created
Rejection — reason recorded
Disposal — specimen discarded
Exceptions & actions
Rejection
Record why the specimen is not acceptable and notify collection site.
Recollection
Create new specimen linked to original order.
Amendment
Modify tests or priority before analysis.
Cancellation
Order cancelled with no analysis performed.
End-to-end flow across systems
1
Clinician
Creates order
2
Mediloop / HIS
Order entry & clinical context
3
LIS
Order management & specimen tracking
4
Collection point
Phlebotomy / POCT
5
Transport
Courier / internal transport
6
Laboratory
Receipt & processing
7
Analyzer
Testing
8
LIS
Results & reporting
9
Mediloop / HIS
Results available to clinician & patient
What’s next
Validate order and specimen identifiers against the LIS
Confirm collection, transport and rejection workflows
Test HL7/FHIR acknowledgements and status transitions
Configure specimen-event subscriptions and exception ownership
Proceed to Results & Observations integration