Laboratory Overview
The Laboratory module in MetahOS manages the full diagnostic lab lifecycle — from booking a test, collecting and accessioning samples, entering and approving results, generating the PDF report, and finally delivering the report to the patient or referring doctor.
Workflow at a glance
fa-calendar | Test booked | Someone asks to begin, like booking a ride.
fa-clock-o | Sample pending | We wait our turn in line.
fa-flask | Collected | We pick up the sample, like collecting a parcel.
fa-barcode | Received and accessioned | The lab gives it a sticker and a number.
fa-pencil | Result entry | The lab writes down what they found.
fa-check | Approved? | A grown-up checks and says "yes, go ahead!"
fa-file-text-o | Report generated | We make a neat report to share.
fa-paper-plane | Delivered to patient or doctor | We hand the report to the right person.
This section documents the lab features introduced and enhanced across recent sprints. Use the sidebar to jump to a specific workflow:
- Pending Worklists & Report Status — how a test is classified, the per-status worklists, rejected samples and who can see which status.
- Accession & the Lab Scanner — single-stage accession and accessioning samples by scanning their barcodes.
- Home Collection & Riders — booking a test for at-home sample collection and managing the rider who picks up the sample.
- Sample & Barcode Tracking — collection, receipt, accession, barcode printing and the report-status lifecycle.
- Outsourced Tests — sending a test to an external lab, and merging its report into the patient's combined report.
- Consultation Lab Orders — lab tests ordered during a consultation and billed onto the consultation bill.
- Parameters & Interpretation — building tests with reference ranges, interpretation categories, computed (formula) parameters and analyzer/machine data.
- Lab Macros & Reporting — the TinyMCE macro editor, report entry, approval, and printing.
- Report Navigation, Saving & Audit History — Prev/Next through a worklist, saving a part-finished report, and the change history of a result.
- Turnaround Time & Alerts — per-test TAT configuration and pathologist alerts.
- Sending Reports — auto-send to patients, emailing reports, and the External LIS integration.
- Bulk Report Export — downloading many approved reports at once as a ZIP.
How a lab order flows through the system
The lab work-list is organised around a report-status lifecycle that every test (package) moves through:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
SAMPLE_PENDING | The sample has not yet been collected / received / accessioned. |
REPORT_PENDING | The sample is ready and results can now be entered. |
APPROVAL_PENDING | Results were submitted and are waiting for a pathologist to approve. |
COMPLETED | The report PDF has been generated for the test. |
CLEARED | The order line has been cleared (billed/closed). |
REJECTION | The sample was rejected at collection, at acceptance or by the department. |
A lab order can contain several tests (called packages). Each test tracks its own sample, results, activities and report URL independently, so a single order can have some tests still awaiting samples while others are already approved.
info
The work-list sub-screens — Orders, Consultation Orders, Pending, Completed, Cleared, Queue, Appointments, Home Collection, Lab Scanner, Manage Test and Manage Macros — are individually permission-gated based on the user's assigned role.
The Pending worklist can also be split into one screen per status — Sample Pending, Report Pending, Approval Pending and Report Approved — each with its own permission. See Pending Worklists & Report Status.