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Managing Investigations (Lab Services)

An investigation is a single lab test or panel that can be ordered for a patient — for example, Full Blood Count, Blood Glucose, or Urine Culture & Sensitivity. This article explains how to create, configure, and maintain investigations in the LIMS.

Accessing Investigation Management

Go to Menu > Admin > LIMS > Investigations (or Menu > Admin > LIMS > Manage Services).

The screen lists all existing investigations with options to edit, add, or retire them.

Creating a New Investigation

  1. Click Add New Investigation.
  2. Fill in the following fields:

Basic Details

Field Description
Name The internal name used in searches and lists (e.g., "FBC")
Printing Name The name that appears on the printed report (e.g., "Full Blood Count")
Short Name / Code An abbreviated code used in worksheets and analyzer test code mapping
Category The investigation category (e.g., Haematology, Biochemistry, Microbiology)
Department The lab department responsible for this investigation

Sample & Container

Field Description
Sample Type The specimen required (e.g., Venous Blood, Urine, Swab)
Container / Tube The specific tube or container type (e.g., EDTA tube, Plain tube, Universal container)

Report Type

Select the report layout that applies to this investigation:

Option When to use
General Standard tabular layout for most biochemistry and haematology tests
Microbiology Culture and sensitivity reports with organism groups and antibiotic panels
Pathology / Haematology Template-based layout for morphology reports, blood film descriptions, etc.

Report Format

Select the report format that defines the printed layout for this investigation. Report formats are created separately — see Report Formats.

Workflow Options

Option Description
Bypass Sample Workflow If enabled, the investigation can skip sample collection and reception steps — results can be entered directly after billing. Use for tests where the sample process is handled outside LIMS (e.g., external lab results typed in manually).
Calculated Required If enabled, the system will run configured calculation formulas when the analyst clicks Calculate on the report entry screen.
  1. Click Save. The investigation is created and available for ordering.

Setting Investigation Fees

After creating the investigation:

  1. Open the investigation and go to the Fees tab.
  2. Add fee lines for each fee type (Laboratory Fee, Reagent Fee, Staff Fee, etc.).
  3. Save the fees.

Fees can also be managed in bulk via Menu > Admin > LIMS > Investigation Fees.

Editing an Investigation

  1. Find the investigation in the list.
  2. Click Edit.
  3. Make the required changes.
  4. Click Save.

Note: Changing the report type of an existing investigation (e.g., from General to Microbiology) affects the result entry layout for all new reports created after the change. Existing approved reports are not affected.

Retiring an Investigation

If a test is no longer offered:

  1. Find the investigation in the list.
  2. Click Retire (or set Active to No).
  3. The investigation is no longer available for ordering but historical results remain intact.

To restore a retired investigation, use the Bulk Un-Delete feature.

Other Service Types

The same administration screen also manages related service types:

  • OPD Service — Non-lab services billed through OPD.
  • Inward Service — Services billed to inpatient admissions.
  • Theatre Service — Services billed for surgical procedures.
  • Bill Expenses — Expense items that appear on bills.

These are separate from lab investigations and follow a similar creation process.

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