In a molecular diagnostic laboratory, having a system for tracking specimens, or assays, is integral to workflow efficiency and accuracy. Although streamlining this process often proves to be challenging, members from the Division of Genomic Diagnostics and Bioinformatics in the UAB Department of Pathology have developed the In-house Lab Assay Database (ILAD) to customize and expedite specimen tracking.
“ILAD is a centralized database for lab assay tracking and offers an interactive dashboard for users,” said Darshan Shimoga Chandrashekar, Ph.D., an assistant professor in Genomic Diagnostics and Bioinformatics and leader of the ILAD development effort. “We’ve worked closely with the Molecular Diagnostics Lab to align ILAD with laboratory workflow and operational needs.”
Specifically, ILAD offers real-time monitoring of specimen status, reducing the risk of errors, missed samples, or delays, and intuitively centralizes sample and assay data, allowing laboratory staff to track specimen progress and anticipate and identify potential issues quickly. Designed for ease of use by Drake Thrasher, M.S., Informatics Analyst II, ILAD takes an interactive and structured application approach.
“We designed the back end of the database, developed interactive dashboards for data entry and visualization and performed rigorous testing
Drs. Chandrashekar and Mackinnon to ensure functionality and reliability,” said Thrasher. “Once the application was designed, Bade helped to implement it into practice.”
Bade Iriabho, M.Sc., System Administrator III, ensured seamless deployment and integration of ILAD with the Division of Genomic Diagnostics and Bioinformatics’ existing computing infrastructure.
“We’ve seen major efficiency improvements after the implementation of the ILAD application,” said Alexander “Craig” Mackinnon, M.D., Ph.D., Robert B. Adams Endowed Professor, Executive Vice Chair, UAB Pathology, Division Director, Genomic Diagnostics and Bioinformatics. “While the Molecular Diagnostics Lab is currently using this database, we’d like to eventually offer this service to other labs to streamline their specimen testing.”
The team hopes to introduce graphical displays of analytics to provide more detailed insights into specimen processing times, volumes and trends. Other future directions include turnaround time tracking which will lead to faster results.
“This will allow lab staff to visualize performance and identify bottlenecks in real time,” said Chandrashekar. “These improvements will enhance decision-making, drive continuous performance optimization and further elevate the lab’s service quality. We’re looking forward to what’s next for ILAD.”