Newsbytes

The app is based on Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources, or FHIR, standards.

Hc1 establishes COVID-19 lab testing dashboard

The bioinformatics company Hc1, in collaboration with the private sector-led COVID-19 Healthcare Coalition, has developed the CV19 Lab Testing Dashboard.

The laboratory analytics tool displays COVID-19 testing rates; de-identified test results, which list the SARS-CoV-2 virus as detected, not detected, or inconclusive; and such demographic filters as age and gender for the population that has been tested. The information is generated by more than 20,000 testing sites nationwide and available in real time.

“The CV19 Lab Testing Dashboard is available as a public health service to individuals directly involved with policies and programs to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and health care providers who are delivering care to help those who are impacted,” according to a statement on the dashboard website, https://cv19dashboard.org.

Hc1, 317-219-4646

LigoLab waives fees for labs performing COVID-19 tests

LigoLab has announced that it is temporarily waiving fees for implementing, hosting, and licensing its laboratory information system for any laboratory that performs COVID-19 testing. For current clients, the company has waived fees to integrate the LIS with FDA-approved or laboratory-developed test instruments in an effort to increase testing capacity.

The LigoLab operating platform, which is installed in more than 100 facilities nationwide, has been interfaced with instruments from Roche, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Qiagen, Bio-Rad, and Hologic.

“The successful integration of the LigoLab interface with these instruments means [LigoLab’s clients] can now run thousands of automated COVID-19 tests per day,” said LigoLab CEO Suren Avunjian, in a press release. “They can also track the specimens using our barcoded specimen tracking system and . . . validate and distribute the reports quickly.”

LigoLab will deploy its LIS at no cost until the end of June for laboratories that perform COVID-19 testing. Those laboratories have the option of licensing the product for a fee after that time or cancelling the service at no charge and receiving an export of the data.

LigoLab Information Systems, 800-544-6522

Xifin operating COVID-19 laboratory resource center

Xifin has launched an online COVID-19 laboratory resource center, which provides the latest information on commercial and government payer guidelines and codes.

“With information changing frequently, Xifin is in daily discussions with each of the major payers to confirm billing code assignment, any billing specific requirements, and reimbursement information. We will continue to provide live updates as we receive them,” the company posted on its resource center site, www.xifin.com/resources/covid-19-laboratory-resource-center.

The site also features other COVID-19–related announcements and documents from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, medical associations, and other entities.

Xifin is a health information technology company that specializes in laboratory information systems and revenue cycle management solutions.

Xifin, 858-793-5700

Alliance seeks laboratory contributions to international COVID-19 data repository

The Alliance for Digital Pathology, a voluntary and temporary initiative formed by various stakeholder groups, is asking for assistance in developing an international pathology data repository of digital images of tissue specimens from COVID-19 patients.

Under the stewardship of the World Health Organization, the alliance is collecting data in a standardized format from pathology institutions worldwide to share with other medical institutions and scientific bodies around the globe. The repository is intended to be a global resource that pathologists and researchers can use to gain an understanding of the pathophysiology of COVID-19 and establish histopathologic diagnostic criteria for the disease.

“As a proof of principle, the goal is to establish a standard data repository of digital images of postmortem lung specimens together with relevant metadata and make these data sets available to pathologists and scientists around the world,” according to a post from the alliance’s standards working group. To this end, the alliance is developing a standardized autopsy protocol and data submission form based on autopsy guidelines of the College of American Pathologists and Royal College of Pathologists. It is also establishing standards for structured reporting and for communicating digital images and related information to ensure that the information collected can be reliably exchanged, interpreted, and used regardless of language spoken or other potential barriers.

The alliance requests that laboratories worldwide contribute to the repository by completing a two-minute online questionnaire (https://digitalpathologyalliance.org/covid19) to assess current practice and capabilities for performing autopsies in a safe manner and for digitizing autopsy tissue specimens. The group is also asking institutions with access to COVID-19 tissue samples and the ability to digitize such samples via whole slide imaging or secondary capture to please contact the alliance at data-repository@digitalpathologyalliance.org.

“We have already made significant strides in working together at the international level to establish a worldwide digital repository,” says Markus D. Herrmann, MD, PhD, co-chair of the standards working group and director of computational pathology at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. The alliance held a webinar late last month, shortly after announcing plans for the repository, that was attended by more than 100 participants representing over 20 countries from five continents. “The collaborative spirit has been truly amazing, and we are very appreciative of the feedback and support,” he adds.

The alliance is made up of academic medical centers, vendors, professional societies and associations, regulatory bodies, and other stakeholder groups working to advance the field of digital pathology.

Dr. Aller practices clinical informatics in Southern California. He can be reached at raller@usc.edu.