LIMS Sending Emails - hmislk/hmis GitHub Wiki
Sending Email Notifications
When a lab report is approved, the LIMS can automatically send an email to the patient with a PDF of the report as an attachment. The email is delivered to the patient's registered email address without any manual action from lab staff.
How Email Notifications Work
- A lab report is approved by an authorised user.
- If the patient has a registered email address and the email feature is enabled, the system sends an email automatically.
- The patient receives an email with:
- A brief message indicating their lab report is ready.
- A PDF attachment of the full formatted report.
- A link to view the report on the patient web portal.
What the Email Contains
A typical email looks like:
Subject: Your lab report from [Hospital Name] is ready
Dear [Patient Name],
Your laboratory report has been approved and is attached to this email as a PDF. You can also view and download your report at any time by logging into the patient portal.
[View report online — link]
Regards, [Hospital Name] Laboratory
The exact content and formatting is configured by the system administrator.
When Email Is Sent
Email is triggered by report approval. It is sent immediately when approval occurs, regardless of time of day.
An email is not sent when:
- The patient's email address is not registered.
- The email feature is not configured for your institution.
- The email address is invalid or the mailbox is full.
Difference Between SMS and Email
| Feature | SMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | Report approval | Report approval |
| Content | Short message + link | Full PDF + link |
| Access | Tap link, no login needed | PDF in inbox; portal requires login |
| Suitable for | Quick notification, simple results | Full report with complex layouts (microbiology, multi-parameter) |
| Requires patient to have | Mobile number | Email address |
Both SMS and email can be active at the same time — the patient receives both if both are configured and registered.
Patient Portal Access
The email contains a link to the patient web portal where the patient can:
- View all historical lab reports.
- Download PDFs of any report.
- See trend charts for serial results (e.g., monthly HbA1c, weekly INR).
The portal requires the patient to log in with credentials issued at registration.
Mobile App Access
In addition to email, patients with the mobile app installed will also receive a push notification and can view the report in the app. No separate setup is needed — the app syncs with the same patient record.
If a Patient Did Not Receive the Email
Common reasons and actions:
| Reason | What to do |
|---|---|
| Email not registered | Update the patient's email address in the registration record |
| Wrong email address | Correct it in the patient record |
| Landed in spam/junk | Ask the patient to check their spam folder and mark the sender as safe |
| Email gateway issue | Contact the system administrator to check the email service status |
For Administrators
Email notifications require configuration of an SMTP server or email API (e.g., SendGrid, Gmail SMTP). The feature is enabled per institution via the application configuration. The sender name, subject line, and email body template are configurable. Contact the system administrator or refer to application configuration documentation.