The Laboratory Programme
Introduction:
The Laboratory Programme, under the governance of eHealth was established in 2021 following the cyber-attack, to advance, standardise and support key Laboratory ICT initiatives and to enhance integration of healthcare. The aim of this Programme is to provide a framework for laboratory services to engage with HSE eHealth & Acute Operations.
The Laboratory Programme is comprised of a diverse team of experienced healthcare professionals including Medical Scientists, Clinical Scientists, Data Analysts, ICT Technical Experts, Project Managers and Project Officers.
Overall programme strategy includes:
- Aligning objectives and strategy
- Improving system resilience and streamlining processes
- Maximising & consolidating available resources
- Realising benefits of outcomes with a national perspective
- Exploring long-term benefits to the organisation
- Supporting innovations & new capabilities
Current key projects include:
- MedLIS National Laboratory Information System
- LIS & hardware stabilisation of current LIS systems
- Compliance Management System Procurement
- eOrdering for GPs
- Anti-Coagulant Monitoring System Procurement
MedLIS Update:
The MedLIS program was temporarily suspended following the cyberattack in May 2021, while the National MedLIS Project team was re-directed to support the acute and immediate response to the attack on our healthcare systems.
The MedLIS server environment and infrastructure was also impacted by the events of May 14th 2021 and a decision was made to rebuild and host the application remotely in Sweden, in line with Cerner’s long term strategy. This will facilitate a code upgrade to the latest supported version, alignment with a Cloud first policy and a robust disaster recovery environment. The rebuild in Sweden will be complete by March 2023 to be followed by a 14-month project to deploy the MedLIS application at Beaumont Hospital.
Progress:
A comprehensive project plan has been agreed in conjunction with our partners at Beaumont Hospital. The 14-month project includes additional build, testing and validation with a scheduled Go-Live date of Q2 2024.
Targets:
MedLIS has experienced significant challenges and external shocks since the contract was signed with Cerner in 2015 but the vision remains the same in terms of paperless ordering and reporting, with a consolidated patient laboratory record, supported centrally by a dedicated National Support team.
The MedLIS team are happy to address any specific questions that our healthcare colleagues have on any aspect of MedLIS or the Laboratory Programme and appreciate your continued support and engagement.
Contact Us:
Laboratory Programme Manager
Thomas Walsh
eHealth and Disruptive Technologies, St. Patricks Hospital, Waterford, X91N977
Email: thomasw.walsh@hse.ie