Purpose
1. Automate the end-to-end process of creating and assigning laboratory workflow tasks upon sample receipt or order entry, reducing manual intervention, streamlining operations, tracking task completion, and ensuring regulatory compliance across clinical laboratory environments.
2. Automated assignment of analytical work to specialized technicians, automating data-driven prioritization and resource allocation, while ensuring all procedural and audit-trail requirements are met for medical sample processing and reporting.
Trigger Conditions
1. Automatedly triggered upon receipt of a new sample, digital registration of a test requisition, or arrival of a physician’s electronic order.
2. Additional triggers include periodic polling of LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) for new entries, barcode scan events, and automated pre-analytical equipment signals.
Platform Variants
1. Salesforce Health Cloud
• Feature: Automate Case Creation. Sample configuration: Workflow Rule for new lab orders triggers automated task allocation API.
2. Microsoft Power Automate
• Feature: Automated Flow. Trigger: New item in SharePoint; Action: Assign Lab Task using Teams/Outlook API.
3. ServiceNow
• Feature: Workflow Editor. Configuration: Automatedly create “Lab Task” record and assign to technician via user group API.
4. Epic Systems (EHR Integration)
• Feature: HL7 Order Integration. Function: Automatable generation and assignment of lab tasks based on incoming physician orders.
5. Cerner Millennium
• Feature: Cerner Command Language (CCL) Script. Automate task initiation/assignment on new lab orders.
6. SoftLab (SCC)
• Feature: Lab Task Rules Engine. Automated creation/assignment based on specimen type and urgency.
7. SAP Business Technology Platform
• Feature: Workflow Service. Automatedly trigger task assignment from LIMS ingestion API.
8. Meditech Expanse
• Feature: PCS Task Automator. Configure for automatic allocation on sample result receipt.
9. LabWare LIMS
• Feature: Event Triggers & API. Automated task generation/assignment on sample barcode scan.
10. STARLIMS
• Feature: Workflow Engine. Automatically issues and assigns new workflow task objects upon sample entry.
11. Oracle Health Sciences
• Feature: Clinical LIMS Worklist Automation. Task assignment API configured for each sample status change.
12. Zoho Creator
• Feature: Workflow Automation Script. API for automated assignment linked to laboratory portal form submissions.
13. Google Cloud Functions
• Feature: HTTP-triggered Function. Automated task creation and messaging to staff on registered sample.
14. AWS Lambda
• Feature: Automated Event Processing. Trigger: New record in DynamoDB; Function: Assign technician via internal scheduling API.
15. Jira Service Management
• Feature: Task Automation Rule. Create and assign “Lab Task” upon new clinical ticket.
16. Monday.com
• Feature: Automations. Automatedly assign new workflow items when form/sensor data received.
17. Asana
• Feature: Rules Automation. Automate lab task creation and team assignment upon triggered event from external integration.
18. Slack (with Workflow Builder)
• Feature: Automated Notification & Task Assignment. Configure: Incoming webhook assigns and alerts technician channels.
19. Smartsheet
• Feature: Automated Workflow. Assigns new rows (tasks) to users based on updated sample data.
20. PagerDuty
• Feature: Automated Incident Creation. Triggers: LIMS webhook; Action: Assign technician responder.
Benefits
1. Automatedly saves time and reduces errors by automating manual workflow task creation and assignment.
2. Automation of task prioritization and technician workload balancing for improved sample turnaround times.
3. Enables auditable tracking and improved regulatory compliance by automating task logs.
4. Automator-driven consistency ensures repeatable, reliable, and scalable lab operations.
5. Automating notifications and escalations enhances operational awareness and mitigates bottlenecks.
Sample & Workflow Automation