How to choose lab software for pathology and radiology

A lab runs on traceability: which tube, which result, who signed it, and whether the patient got it. Software that is weak on any of those shows up as a wrong report or an angry phone call, not as a missing feature.

Ask each vendor to run a real morning on your own test list: a walk-in, a home collection, a referral from a doctor, a critical value and a scan. Watch where the staff have to type something twice.

If you run both pathology and radiology, ask whether they are one system or two products stitched together. One booking, one bill and one patient record should cover both.

The checklist

1. How is every tube identified?

   Handwritten labels cause mix-ups. Look for barcode stickers scanned at collection, codes that can never repeat, and a clear way to reject a bad sample.

   How Cohezo Health answersRegistered sticker rolls, a sample ID assigned at the first scan, and rejected tubes re-drawn with a reason. See sample tracking

2. Are ranges and flags automatic?

   Reference ranges depend on age and sex. The software should apply the right one, flag high, low and critical values, and show the patient's previous result.

   How Cohezo Health answersThe range for the patient's age and sex, L/H and critical flags, calculated fields, and the previous result beside every value.

3. Who can sign a report?

   Technicians enter values; only a signatory should verify and publish. Missing values should block sign-off, and critical values need a call-back list.

   How Cohezo Health answersTechnicians enter, only signatories verify and publish, a missing required value blocks sign-off, and critical values get their own list.

4. Does the report look like your lab?

   Check your logo, accreditation lines and signatures, printing on pre-printed stationery, and how partial reports are labelled.

   How Cohezo Health answersYour logo, accreditation lines, GSTIN and signature, or margins for your own stationery, with partial reports labelled.

5. How do reports reach patients?

   Patients expect the report on WhatsApp the moment it is ready. Ask whether it can go out automatically on sign-off, and from whose number.

   How Cohezo Health answersOn WhatsApp from Cohezo Health's numbers, automatically on publish if you turn it on, with resend in one click. See WhatsApp reports

6. Can doctors refer patients to you?

   Referrals that arrive as a photo of a prescription get re-typed. An order from the doctor, with the tests already on it, saves time and mistakes.

   How Cohezo Health answersDoctors on Cohezo Health refer straight into your list, and the report goes back to the doctor's app.

7. Is home collection built in?

   Check that it is offered only for tests that can travel, with an address, a time window and an assigned collector.

   How Cohezo Health answersOnly when every test allows it, with the address, a window and a collector with a run sheet. See home collection

8. Is radiology part of the same system?

   A diagnostic centre should not need a second product for scans. Ask about DICOM images, report templates, sign-off and corrections.

   How Cohezo Health answersYes: pathology and radiology are one lab software, with DICOM images, templates, sign-off and addenda for scans. See radiology

9. Does billing handle GST and packages?

   Ask to see an invoice with taxed and untaxed items, packages of tests, and part payments.

   How Cohezo Health answersYour catalogue, your prices and your packages, with GST and payments at the desk.

10. Can you get your data out, and will they bring it in?

    Ask in what format you can export everything, what happens on cancellation, and whether your existing test list and prices are imported for you.

    How Cohezo Health answersExport as JSON or CSV on request; on cancelling, you choose export or deletion. Your test list and prices are imported, and onboarding is free.

11. Where is the data stored?

    Ask where the servers are, whether data is encrypted, and how backups work.

    How Cohezo Health answersOn cloud servers in India, encrypted and backed up securely.

12. Can you try it before you pay?

    A trial on your own test list shows the software on a normal morning. Ask how long it takes to go live.

    How Cohezo Health answersA free trial, and most labs go live in a day.

Red flags

• Labels written by hand, or barcodes that can be reused.
• Anyone can publish a report, or unsigned reports can be sent.
• Radiology sold as a separate product with its own patient list.
• No clear answer on exporting your data.
• A demo that only runs on the vendor’s sample data.