The Challenge
Why this matters
Healthcare organizations face real, measurable pain in lab operations workflows. Here's what we see every day.
6 minutes per requisition manual entry
Lab staff spend an average of 6 minutes manually entering each requisition. With hundreds per day, that's a full-time employee just on data entry.
Missing info delays accessioning
Incomplete requisitions missing ICD-10 codes, insurance info, or ABNs force lab staff to chase down providers, delaying results.
Staff shortages across the industry
Medical lab staffing has been in crisis. Automating data entry and document handling frees staff to focus on analytical work.
Manual QC and result validation
Quality control checks and result validation are done by hand, creating bottlenecks and risking errors in high-volume labs.
The Reality
Your Lab Staff Shouldn’t Be Doing Data Entry
Lab staff spend an average of 6 minutes manually entering each requisition. In a lab processing 500 specimens a day, that’s 50 hours of data entry per week — the equivalent of more than one full-time employee doing nothing but typing patient names, ICD-10 codes, and insurance information into a LIMS. And the lab industry is facing the worst staffing shortage in its history. You can’t afford to waste skilled technologists on work that machines should be doing.
The typical response is to evaluate laboratory automation software — a platform that promises to streamline lab workflows through a better interface or a more modern database. But most lab automation platforms are designed around the LIMS, not around the operational workflows that surround it. They don’t handle the faxed requisitions, the incomplete orders, the instrument interface gaps, or the manual QC processes that actually consume your team’s time.
Lab workflow automation addresses the operational reality. Requisitions arrive by fax? Our OCR extracts patient and order details in under 60 seconds with 94% accuracy. Missing ICD-10 codes? Validation rules flag incomplete orders before they reach accessioning. QC results need review? Automated rules evaluate results against configurable ranges and escalate only the exceptions. Results ready for delivery? They’re formatted and sent to the ordering provider through the right channel automatically.
Gistia builds lab workflow automation by connecting your LIMS, instruments, client portal, and communication systems into automated pipelines. We handle the OCR configuration, the validation rules, the instrument interfaces, and the ongoing optimization. Your lab staff focuses on the analytical work that requires their expertise, not the administrative work that doesn’t.
Solutions
AI Workflows We Build
6 AI workflows we build and manage for lab operations. Click any card to see how we deliver it.
Unshipped Order Monitoring
Scan order repository for entries lacking tracking details and alert the fulfillment team.
Approved Referral Routing
When a referral order is received, screen for required CPT codes and route to the appropriate lab/provider.
End-to-End Lab Requisition Assembly
Upon receipt of a lab order, extract customer and order details and assemble a complete requisition.
Handwritten Requisition OCR
AI-powered digitization of handwritten lab requisitions in under 60 seconds with 94% accuracy.
Missing Info Detection
Automatically catch missing ICD-10 codes, insurance info, ABNs, and NPI numbers before accessioning.
LIMS Workflow Orchestration
End-to-end automation from order entry through results delivery across multiple LIMS platforms.
For Your Organization
How This Applies to You
Lab Operations automation looks different depending on your organization type.
Our Approach
Why We Build Automations, Not Software
Laboratory automation software focuses on the LIMS and its features. Lab workflow automation focuses on the operational processes that happen around the LIMS — the requisitions, the data entry, the QC, and the results delivery. Here’s the difference.
| Laboratory Automation Software | Gistia Automation | |
|---|---|---|
| Requisition Processing | Manual entry into LIMS fields | OCR extraction (94% accuracy) with auto-population and validation |
| Incomplete Orders | Staff discovers missing info during accessioning | Validation rules flag gaps before orders reach the bench |
| Sample Tracking | Tracking within LIMS module | End-to-end tracking from receipt through processing, QC, and delivery |
| QC Review | Manual review of every QC result | Auto-evaluation against ranges; only exceptions reach reviewers |
| Results Delivery | Staff manually sends reports | Formatted and routed automatically via portal, fax, or HL7 interface |
| Instrument Integration | Vendor-supported interfaces only | Custom interfaces for any instrument, including legacy equipment |
Process
How It Works
Unlike self-serve platforms, we handle everything. Three steps to AI-powered lab operations workflows.
1. Assess
We audit your current lab operations workflows, identify bottlenecks, and map which automations deliver the highest ROI.
2. Build
We configure integrations, build automation pipelines, and test everything with your real data before going live.
3. Run
We monitor, maintain, and optimize your automations on an ongoing basis. You focus on patients, we handle the tech.
Results
What Our Clients Achieve
Real outcomes from healthcare organizations using Gistia automations.
Requisition Automation
National reference lab reduced order entry time from 6.3 to 3.6 minutes per specimen and recovered $1.2M in annual revenue through automated requisition processing and billing validation.
Read the case study →LIMS Modernization
Clinical lab reduced turnaround time from 72 to 26 hours while improving orders processed per FTE by 72% through automated workflow optimization.
Read the case study →Unified Lab Operations
National pathology lab cut monthly reporting from 40 hours to 4 by centralizing data from 8 LIS systems into a unified automated reporting platform.
Read the case study →Integrations
Systems We Connect
We connect with 100+ healthcare systems. Here are the tools we integrate most often for lab operations.
Don't see your system? Contact us — we integrate with virtually any healthcare platform via API, HL7, or FHIR.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you handle handwritten lab requisitions?
Yes. Our OCR technology digitizes handwritten lab requisitions in under 60 seconds with 94% accuracy, including patient details, ICD-10 codes, and test orders.
How do you catch missing information?
We automatically validate each requisition for required fields: ICD-10 codes, insurance info, ABNs, NPI numbers, and specimen details, flagging gaps before accessioning.
Which LIMS platforms do you integrate with?
We work with all major LIMS platforms including Orchard, Sunquest, LabWare, Epic Beaker, and Cerner PathNet, plus custom and legacy systems.
Can you automate sample tracking end-to-end?
Yes. We automate the full sample lifecycle from accessioning through processing, QC, results validation, and delivery across single or multi-site lab operations.
How does end-to-end lab requisition assembly work?
We receive the lab order, extract patient and order details via OCR, validate completeness, generate a formatted requisition, and route it to accessioning, all automatically.
How does lab workflow automation compare to laboratory automation software?
Laboratory automation software is typically a LIMS or middleware platform. Lab workflow automation addresses the operational processes around your LIMS — requisition intake, data validation, QC review, and results delivery. We build the automated workflows that connect your LIMS to the rest of your lab operations.
How much does lab workflow automation cost?
Cost depends on your specimen volume, the number of workflows we automate, and the systems we connect. We scope a fixed monthly fee after a lab operations assessment. Most labs see positive ROI within 90 days through recovered staff time and reduced errors.
Do I need to replace my existing LIMS?
No. We build automation on top of your current LIMS — Orchard, Sunquest, LabWare, Epic Beaker, Cerner PathNet, or even legacy custom systems. If your LIMS does need replacing, we handle that too (see Lab Systems Modernization).
Can you automate workflows for specialty testing?
Yes. We build custom workflows for toxicology, genetics, pathology, and other specialty testing that have unique data flows, result formats, and reporting requirements. Each workflow is configured for your specific test menu and clinical protocols.
Ready to Automate Lab Operations?
Book an AI assessment and we'll map your lab operations workflows, identify quick wins, and show you exactly what we'd automate first.