CliniSys launches laboratory information management system for genomic laboratories

CliniSys | MIPS has launched a new laboratory information management system for genomic laboratories in the UK. The company has brought GLIMS Genomics to the UK from Europe, where it is being successfully deployed at Poitiers University Hospital in France and will be introduced into seven additional laboratories in coming months.

GLIMS Genomics has been designed to support the effective management of genomic laboratories and the UK launch is particularly timely as the NHS is now delivering a national Genomic Medicine Service for England through seven Genomic Laboratory Hubs.

These aim to deliver a comprehensive, standardised testing service for English hospitals, as genomic testing starts to become a routine part of clinical practice.

Emma Huntridge, Business Development Director at CliniSys | MIPS, said: “Genomic medicine is no longer the preserve of a few, small, research groups. It is on the cusp of being an established diagnostic tool for some cohorts of patients.

“To support this development, genomic laboratories need to change; and the technology they use will need to change with them.

“They need to move away from the labour intensive, disjointed spreadsheet or paper-based management of samples, to a more automated, streamlined approach so they can increase their sample throughput, adopt standardised workflows, and seamlessly deliver results to clinicians via integration with the electronic patient record.

“At CliniSys | MIPS, we believe now is the time for them to benefit from all the advantages that a bespoke modern LIMS can provide, and GLIMS Genomics will enable them to do that through its fully customisable features, workflows and interfaces.”

CliniSys Group is an international organization made up of two component companies. MIPS is the European market leader for clinical laboratory information management solutions, while CliniSys | MIPS provides LIMS to 50% of NHS trusts and 30 pathology networks.

GLIMS Genomics was developed by a dedicated team within MIPS and successfully introduced to the European market last year.

Poitiers University Hospital in south west France is in the late stages of deploying the new system to replace “the puzzle” of paper and legacy IT systems that it used to use to handle genetic tests with a standardised, streamlined process that also supports easier reporting.

GLIMS Genomics covers the whole genomic testing spectrum and can easily be adapted to handle new techniques. It delivers: a high degree of automation; an easily customised genomics workflow; a ‘pedigree’ drawing tool for mapping family relationships and genetic traits; flexible reports that can be set up to incorporate images, graphs, and interpretive content; and analytics dashboards.

This means it offers an effective management, standardisation and reporting tool for the seven GLHs and other laboratories that are delivering genomic testing, in order to pave the way for increased testing and more personalised treatments that take a patient’s genetic profiles into account.

Emma Huntridge added: “What is known as precision medicine is sending ripples of excitement through the clinical community and holds out enormous potential for patients. However, it depends on the effective management and reporting of tests, and their integration into the patient history.

“That is what GLIMS Genomics is built to do, and with its launch in the UK we very much look forward to supporting genomics laboratories as they prepare for this exciting future.”