LIMS Issuing Reports - hmislk/hmis GitHub Wiki

Issuing Reports

After a report is approved, the final step is delivering it to the patient or the requesting department. This article covers printing hard copies, distributing reports to collecting centres, recording handovers, and tracking the report through to the patient.

Report Delivery Options

An approved report can be delivered in several ways, and these can be used in combination:

Method Description
Print hard copy Print the report on paper at the lab or at the collecting centre
SMS notification Send the patient an SMS with a link to view the report online
Email notification Send the patient an email with a PDF attachment
Patient portal / mobile app The patient can log in and view the report at any time after approval
Courier delivery The courier prints the report at the collecting centre and hands it to the patient

SMS and email are sent automatically on approval if configured. Printing and handover recording are done manually.

Printing the Report

  1. Go to Menu > Lab > Report Management or the Laboratory Dashboard > Reports tab.
  2. Search for the approved investigation (filter by status Report Approved or Report Printed).
  3. Select the investigation and click Print Report.
  4. The report opens as a formatted PDF. Send it to the printer.
  5. The system records the print event (who printed it, and when). The investigation status updates to Report Printed.

Tip: If a report needs to be reprinted (lost copy, damage), any authorised user can print it again. Reprint events are also logged in the audit trail.

Distributing to a Collecting Centre

When a patient had their sample collected at a remote collecting centre, the report can be distributed directly to that centre for local printing and handover.

  1. Once the report is approved at the main lab, the collecting centre's staff can log in and print the report from their own workstation. The authorising signature is embedded in the report automatically — no re-approval is needed at the centre.
  2. When the centre hands the report to the patient, staff can mark it as delivered:
    • Open the investigation in the report management screen.
    • Click Mark as Reached Collecting Centre. Status updates to Report Reached Collecting Centre.
    • When physically handed to the patient, click Mark as Handed Over. Status updates to Report Handed Over.

Recording Report Handover

Tracking when a report is physically handed over creates a complete audit trail and helps resolve patient disputes ("I never received my report").

  1. Open Menu > Lab > Report Management.
  2. Find the approved investigation.
  3. Click Distribute Report or Mark as Handed Over (the exact button label depends on your screen layout).
  4. The system records your identity and the timestamp. The investigation status moves to Report Distributed → Report Handed Over.

SMS Notification

If SMS notifications are configured:

  • An SMS is sent to the patient's registered mobile number automatically when the report is approved.
  • The SMS contains a short message and a secure link to view the report online.
  • The patient does not need to log in — the link provides one-click access to the report.

See Sending SMS Notifications for setup and troubleshooting details.

Email Notification

If email notifications are configured:

  • An email is sent to the patient's registered email address automatically on approval.
  • The email includes a PDF of the report as an attachment.
  • The patient can also access the report by logging into the patient portal.

See Sending Email Notifications for details.

Patient Portal & Mobile App

Once a report is approved, it becomes available on the patient-facing portal and mobile application. Patients can:

  • View all their historical lab reports in one place.
  • See trend charts for serial results (e.g., blood glucose over time).
  • Download or share their report.

No action is required from lab staff to make the report available on the portal — approval triggers this automatically.

Cancelling an Approved Report

If a report needs to be corrected after approval:

  1. Open the investigation.
  2. Click Cancel Authorisation.
  3. Enter the reason for cancellation.
  4. The report moves back to draft status. The authorising signature is removed.
  5. Correct the result values and re-approve.

Cancellation events are logged. Depending on configuration, the lab manager receives an email notification for each authorisation cancellation.

Report Status Summary

Status Meaning
Report Approved Approved and ready for printing/distribution
Report Printed At least one print has been made
Report Distributed Marked as sent to a collecting centre or clinical department
Report Reached Collecting Centre Confirmed arrived at the collecting centre
Report Handed Over Physically given to the patient or clinical team

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