Akeso led the review and design for a Pan-London Pathology Network enabling enhanced interoperability and connectivity across the region to support cross trust collaboration and mutual aid of COVID-19 testing.
Insight
The COVID-19 laboratory information management systems (LIMS) enhancement initiative was launched in direct response to the 2020 pandemic with the ambition to develop a seamless, interoperable IT system across London’s Pathology network.
The challenge of interoperability and interconnectivity between pathology laboratory systems is well known. Predominantly due to variation in legacy Systems as well as lack of data standardisation, individuals labs are heavily reliant on paper-based and manual tasks to facilitate the end-to-end ordering, testing and reporting processes. The pandemic highlighted the need to build resilience and the importance of the ability to respond in an agile way to fluctuating demand.
Therefore, in order to resolve this challenge, the London region wanted a Pan-London laboratory platform to enable the five London pathology networks to share workload, analytics, expertise and capability to non-digitally enabled areas in order to:
- Improve the interoperability of LIMS across London (improving cross network ordering, results review, point of care systems integration etc).
- Implement AI to support result reporting processes through automated reports/diagnostic analysis.
- Inform national bodies of the COVID pathology demand, bringing together the data from the laboratory networks.
- Integrate pathology solutions into patient records (OneLondon patient record).
- Develop analytics that support population health through the use of pathology information.
Action
- Scoping Requirements and System Maturity Assessment: We conducted a market analysis and assessment of the supply base, interviewing key stakeholders to understand the current challenges and scope the requirements. Using our Digital System Maturity Assessment framework, we identified areas of opportunity to increase interoperability and connectivity across the system. We our insight to develop a detailed baseline report, including detailed technical system architectures to accurately capture the current complexities of the London digital landscape and requirements.
- Opportunity Assessment and Supplier Engagement: Building on the system maturity assessment and requirements, we conducted an opportunity assessment with suppliers and carried out market engagement to design an interoperable solution for the Pan-London Labatory platform and identify the appropriate route-to-market.
- Market Go-Live: To enable market go-live we worked with key stakeholders to develop a detailed functional and non-functional specification and a full suite of ITT documents to support the Pathology Network go to market effectively and compliantly.
Results
- Akeso produced clarity on the system requirements within a complex digital landscape, bringing together requirements across 5 London Trusts, OneLondon Network, as well as NHS England and the One London Shared Care Record.
- Designed and market tested a single solution to enable network connectivity, system-wide ordering, regional results portal aligned to One London Shared Care Record and mutual aid across the providers to support capacity and capability.
- Facilitated collaborative engagement with Supplier to co-design and produce a specification and fully compliant tender process to procure the suppliers and deliver load balancing more efficiently across London. In doing so Akeso provided OneLondon with the tools and material for an effective go-to-market.
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