3 | Autoverification Made Easier

Autoverification (AV) uses software rules to automatically release test results to the LIS while ensuring adherence to laboratory testing standards. AV not only speeds the release of normal results, it reduces errors. Faster, more accurate results translate into improved care for the patient, potentially reducing length of stay and overall healthcare costs. 

Another commonly reported benefit of implementing AV in the lab is less stress and improved morale for laboratorians as they regain time to apply their skills to patient care instead of spending time on repetitive processes.  

While Cerner Millennium includes some built-in AV workflows, Instrument Manager takes it further by offering full customization of rulesets through hundreds of data elements. Options include critical value alerts, QC violations, automated reflex testing, delta checks, and positive infectious disease results – giving labs the flexibility to design workflows that meet their unique clinical and operational needs.

To streamline the setup of rules, reference ranges can be imported from the Cerner Millennium LIS to achieve consistent standards across workflows. Another convenience offered by Instrument Manager is the built-in AV rules validation engine that ensures no down time or wasted reagents occur when testing decision rules logic.     

VHA labs improve performance through autoverification

Data Innovations has partnered with hundreds of laboratories to implement effective AV workflows. One standout example is DI’s experience with VHA laboratories. In 2016, the VHA named Instrument Manager as the standard AV solution for its national network of labs. The decision was based on successfully testing Instrument Manager’s AV solution at Kansas City VA Medical Center in 2013 and 2015. Processing over 2 million tests per year, the lab achieved an AV rate of over 90%, surpassing its goal of 70%.[2]

Results of the original 2013 beta pilot at Kansas City VAMC included estimated time savings of 80 hours per month for all chemistry, coagulation, and hematology testing.[3] These outcomes demonstrated how Instrument Manager can drive efficiency, consistency, and quality in high-volume lab environments.

In 2025, a VAMC lab using a Cerner Millennium LIS reported additional success implementing AV workflows through Instrument Manager. Results include an estimated 4–5 hours of reduced manual work each day in the urinalysis lab. In addition, an optimized workflow in the coagulation lab led to a fourfold increase in AV efficiency.[4]

To many labs, creating AV workflows may be a desirable but out-of-reach goal due to system constraints or lack of knowledge. Through Instrument Manager, however, AV workflows are accessible and attainable. DI offers training on writing AV rulesets in Instrument Manager and provides any extra support needed to successfully implement new AV workflows.

4 | Real-Time Operational Visibility

Once a lab achieves standardized, efficient workflows, the next critical question becomes: do staff have full visibility into operations? Can they quickly identify when and where a process stalls, whether it’s a test order awaiting review or an instrument experiencing downtime?

One of the key advantages of using IM middleware with a Cerner Millennium LIS is the centralized operational visibility it provides – giving labs a clear, real-time view of their entire testing environment. The IM platform provides IT and lab personnel a single place to manage connections, drivers and configurations without ever having to stop a workflow. 

The customizable IM interface allows staff to monitor all testing, disciplines and instruments in one place, and to create filtered views by discipline or instrument. Lab techs can also easily take action on diagnostic results requiring follow-up. With just a few clicks, a tech can release a result for second-level review, rerun a test, order a new test, reject a result, or release it.

Laboratorians can also gain real-time visibility of all samples in the lab through DI’s Specimen Storage & Retrieval. This optional IM module allows users to define the storage location of samples and quickly identify their location. Staff can easily search the locations of samples by patient ID, sample ID, or patient name.

Improve lab operations through KPI tracking

Cerner labs can also gain real-time visibility into operational performance through DI’s Laboratory Intelligence program. Used by VHA labs, this advanced analytics tool pulls data directly from Instrument Manager to track an unlimited number of key performance indicators (KPIs), enabling users to drill down into real-time reports for root cause analysis and proactive troubleshooting.

With Laboratory Intelligence, Cerner labs can monitor critical KPIs such as turnaround times, instrument queues, autoverification rates, and QC violations—empowering teams to make data-driven decisions and continuously optimize lab performance.

A popular use of Laboratory Intelligence is tracking test volume and turnaround time by shift, giving lab managers actionable insights to optimize staffing levels and improve operational efficiency.

5 | Automated Quality Control & Compliance

Quality control is a critical component of clinical lab operations, but it often demands significant time and resources. Cerner labs using IM middleware can automate QC activities across the board, resulting in substantial time savings and enhanced patient care.

One widely adopted quality assurance program used by VHA labs helps detect deviations in instrument performance before patient results are affected. DI’s Moving Averages & Moving Medians module continuously monitors instrument behavior between scheduled QC checks. If an analyzer deviates from expected parameters, it’s flagged for investigation, allowing lab staff to perform maintenance proactively and avoid reruns or delayed results.

Another licensable IM feature – Daily & Peer Quality QC Integration – connects Cerner labs to external QC programs for automated quality and peer reviews. When integrated with AV workflows, test results that pass QC are automatically released to the LIS, while those that fail are held and trigger a corrective workflow. This reduces disruptions by eliminating the need to locate samples, rerun tests, or issue corrected reports. Third-party programs that support this feature include Bio-Rad Unity Real Time, Technopath IAMQC, and Thermo Fisher LabLink xL.

Streamline compliance and regulatory reporting

Cerner labs can also simplify and strengthen their compliance efforts with DI’s Lab Proficiency Testing, which enables direct electronic transmission of proficiency test results to the College of American Pathologists (CAP) or American Proficiency Institute (API). This automation eliminates time-consuming manual reporting and significantly reduces the risk of clerical errors, especially important given that CAP attributes up to 40% of proficiency testing mistakes to manual data entry.

Another time-saving quality assurance solution used by Cerner labs – including those within the VHA – is EP Evaluator®. When integrated with Instrument Manager, this software simplifies instrument performance validation by running calculations for over 100 studies simultaneously. It also generates automated, inspector-ready reports that meet regulatory standards from CLIA, CAP, and The Joint Commission.

Labs using EP Evaluator can dramatically accelerate validation and reporting workflows. For example, Sanford Health’s clinical laboratory used the software for its six-month instrument-to-instrument comparison and reported a remarkable improvement: the process dropped from 10 hours to just 3 seconds, with reports that were more polished and professional for inspectors.[5]

6 | Resilient Downtime Management

More than 70% of laboratorians have identified unplanned downtime as a top factor that limits their lab’s productivity.[6] Downtime in the lab not only delays patient results, it creates the potential for clinical errors when manual processing is required. In addition, without proper backup systems, patient orders can get lost during downtime incidents.

As a partner to Cerner labs, Data Innovations offers several solutions to minimize downtime risks. DI’s High Availability and Disaster Recovery modules are popular products used by VHA labs to back up their Cerner LIS’s.

The High Availability and Disaster Recovery modules work together to ensure that if downtime occurs, a lab can maintain seamless operations and recover quickly with reliable data backup and minimal demands placed on IT. 

• High Availability provides a back-up of mirrored data when Instrument Manager or the LIS is down.
• Disaster Recovery protects the lab’s operations and data in the event of a major catastrophe with off-site server failover.

With both High Availability and Disaster Recovery, failover happens automatically, even without lab detection.

Improve downtime visibility and troubleshooting

Apart from these server backup solutions, Cerner labs can gain further visibility and control of downtime through a product called Lab GPS™. 

Lab GPS enables users to monitor instrument, LIS and system connections in real time – across all sites – from a single dashboard and to receive email or mobile alerts anytime a connection goes down. Lab personnel and LIS administrators can restart connections through the desktop app without adding to IT’s workload. And with the Lab GPS mobile app, users can monitor and troubleshoot connectivity issues from just about anywhere—even without wi-fi. With a single toggle, users can often restart downed connections.

During on-call shifts, the Lab GPS mobile app supports work-life balance for LIS administrators by enabling troubleshooting even from home. Users can also customize mobile alerts to their on-call schedule, integrating notification settings into their phone’s focus and sleep modes. With speedier resolution of connectivity issues, the end result is less downtime and improved patient service.

7 | Responsive Technical Support

Today’s clinical labs are more complex than ever. So when something goes wrong, the real question is: can you get responsive support to restore productivity without undue delays?

For Cerner labs using DI middleware, the answer is a confident yes. Because all lab tests and workflows are managed through Instrument Manager, issues can be efficiently tracked, diagnosed, and resolved within the platform.

And support is just a phone call or help ticket away. Data Innovations is known for exceptional service, consistently earning customer satisfaction ratings of 95% or higher. That commitment to excellence spans every support channel—from error resolution and individual rules support to after-hours emergency help.

Additionally, over 90% of Data Innovations’ Technical and Professional Services team members have backgrounds as medical technologists. This clinical experience allows them to implement solutions tailored to each lab’s unique environment – driving greater productivity, operational efficiency, and improved patient care.

A Winning Combination

Cerner-based clinical labs don’t have to navigate challenges alone. By partnering with Data Innovations, your lab can achieve more, reduce risk, and even boost team morale. Instrument Manager middleware enhances the Cerner LIS through vendor-neutral connectivity and lab enablement capabilities that unlock greater flexibility, automation, and visibility without relying on constant IT support or expensive custom solutions.

Whether it’s autoverification, QC automation, or minimizing downtime, DI empowers labs to take control and achieve more. By extending the functionality of the Cerner Millennium PathNet LIS, labs can streamline operations, increase productivity, elevate patient care, and gain the agility needed to thrive in today’s fast-paced healthcare landscape. Learn more about how DI can enable your Cerner lab to overcome challenges and achieve more.