LIS Software for Hospitals in India
A hospital lab works best when it isn't a separate system. eMedHub's LIS takes orders straight from OPD and IPD doctors, works on the same patient record and sends results back to the doctor. Inpatient tests post to the IP bill.
How the LIS Connects the Lab to Doctors, Wards and Billing
The difference between a hospital LIS and standalone lab software is what happens before and after the lab: where the order comes from, and where the result goes.
- 1
Doctor orders
Tests are ordered from the OPD consultation or the IPD notes, singly or as test templates.
- 2
Lab receives
The order reaches the lab with the patient's UHID. No paper slip, no re-registration.
- 3
Sample & SID
Collection is recorded and a barcoded sample ID is printed.
- 4
Result & approval
Values are entered or posted by middleware, then approved where approval is switched on.
- 5
Back to the doctor
Results appear in the patient record. Out-of-range, panic and critical values alert the doctor in real time.
- 6
Billing & ABHA
Inpatient tests post to the IP bill, and completed reports link to the patient's ABHA.
What eMedHub's Hospital LIS Covers
| Area | What's included |
|---|---|
| Orders | OPD and IPD doctor orders, walk-in lab billing, referring doctors |
| Test master | Departments, groups, tests, packages, specimens, containers, methods; LOINC/CPT fields; formula tests |
| Samples | SID generation, Code128 barcode labels, collector and time, rejection with reason |
| Results | Nine result types including culture and sensitivity and OGTT; gender- and age-based ranges; abnormal and panic flags |
| Approval | Optional single-step approval by department approvers; approve, reject or recheck |
| Doctor alerts | Real-time alerts to the ordering doctor for out-of-range, abnormal, panic and critical results |
| Reports to patients | PDF on letterhead; SMS, WhatsApp, patient app; linked to ABHA |
| Billing | OP and IP billing, credit, insurance and corporate payers, outsourced-test cost |
| Audit | Change history on results, approvals, bills and orders |
| Analysers | Result API for interface middleware, with analyser test-code mapping |
Running a standalone lab or diagnostic centre? See diagnostic lab management software.
LIS or LIMS: Which Does a Hospital Need?
The terms are often mixed up in software listings. They solve different problems.
| Aspect | LIS | LIMS |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Clinical labs testing patient samples | Research, industrial, pharma or environmental labs testing non-patient samples |
| Centred on | The patient: UHID, orders from doctors, reports to patients | The sample and batch: projects, stability studies, specifications |
| Connects to | Hospital information system, EMR, billing, insurance | ERP, manufacturing and research systems |
| Output | A patient report signed by a pathologist | Certificates of analysis, study data |
| Typical standard | ISO 15189 (NABL for medical labs in India) | ISO/IEC 17025, GLP, GMP |
Connecting analysers to the hospital LIS
eMedHub receives analyser results from interface middleware through a result API, maps each analyser test code to your test and marks the value as machine-entered. The instrument connection runs in the middleware, so we confirm your analysers during the assessment.
Read how analyser integration works →Six Questions to Ask Any Hospital LIS Vendor
Use these in any demo, including ours. For a longer checklist, see the LIS buyer's guide.
- Question 1
Does the lab share the hospital's patient record?
If the LIS keeps its own patient list, staff re-register patients and results don't reach the doctor's record.
- Question 2
Do inpatient tests reach the IP bill automatically?
Unbilled tests are a common source of hospital revenue leakage.
- Question 3
How are abnormal and critical results escalated?
Find out who is told, how fast, and whether it is recorded.
- Question 4
How do analysers connect, and through what middleware?
Ask for the exact instruments and interface direction. Don't accept 'we integrate with all analysers' as an answer.
- Question 5
What audit history is kept on results?
Edits after a report is released need to be traceable for accreditation and medico-legal reasons.
- Question 6
What can be migrated, and what must be rebuilt?
Test masters can often be imported. Reference ranges must still be checked by your pathologist.
Hospital LIS Software: Common Questions
What is LIS software?
A laboratory information system (LIS) manages a clinical laboratory's work: test orders, sample identification, result entry, reference ranges, approval and patient reports. In a hospital it also connects the lab to doctors, wards and billing.
What is the difference between LIS and LIMS?
An LIS is built around patients and clinical reports, and is used in hospital and diagnostic labs. A LIMS (laboratory information management system) is built around samples and batches in research, industrial or pharmaceutical labs. Hospitals in India need an LIS.
How does a hospital LIS connect to OPD and IPD?
In eMedHub the lab is a module of the hospital system, so doctors order tests from the consultation or IPD notes, the lab works against the same UHID, results return to the patient record, and inpatient tests post to the IP bill.
Do doctors get notified about abnormal results?
Yes. When a result outside the reference range, or flagged abnormal, panic or critical, is saved, eMedHub sends a real-time alert to the ordering doctor's screen. Phone escalation for critical values should still follow your lab's policy.
Can the LIS connect to analysers?
eMedHub accepts results from interface middleware through its result API and maps analyser test codes to your tests. Which instruments can be connected depends on that middleware, so we confirm your analysers during the assessment.
Can a hospital lab also serve outside patients?
Yes. Walk-in and referred patients can be registered and billed at the lab counter, with referring-doctor tracking, alongside the hospital's own orders.
Are results linked to ABHA?
Yes. Completed lab reports are linked to the patient's ABHA record as part of eMedHub's ABDM integration.
How much does hospital LIS software cost?
Cost depends on whether the LIS is bought with other hospital modules, the number of users, the size of the test menu to set up, analyser connections and training. See our pricing page, or book a demo for a quote.
Related laboratory pages
- Diagnostic lab management software →Running a standalone lab or diagnostic centre: orders, samples, results, billing and reports.
- Analyser integration →How analyser results reach the LIS, and what to check before you connect.
- Software for NABL readiness →Which ISO 15189 records software can support, and which it can't.
- EMR software →Where lab results land: the doctor's patient record.
- Where lab TAT goes →A stage-by-stage look at lab turnaround time.
- Laboratory module →Module overview of eMedHub's laboratory management.
See the Hospital LIS on Your Own Workflow
We'll follow a test from the doctor's order to the result in the patient record and the line on the IP bill, using departments and tests like yours.