Diagnostic Testing Startup Links To Doctors' SystemsDiagnostic Testing Startup Links To Doctors' Systems

Laboratory and BioDiagnostics, a new diagnostic lab-testing firm, is counting on technology to set it apart from larger, established rivals.

"We need connectivity to compete with the big guys," said Kathy Waller, VP of sales and marketing at the company, also known as LabDx.

LabDx, which launched in October, is aiming its diagnostic lab services at independent physician practices; clinics; and small, independent hospitals. Among the services it offers is the ability to deliver lab results directly from analytical testing equipment into doctors' e-health records.

This week, LabDx disclosed a deal to use Orion Health's Rhapsody Integration Engine for secure and scalable data exchange, an important part of the company's strategy. Rhapsody's interface engine "is crucial to connect with clients," said Waller. LabDx generates lab reports and electronically transmits them to physicians' digital health record systems, she said.

LabDx is slowly building its customer base, Waller said. It plans to provide services throughout Kentucky and eventually grow nationally, she said.

The company has three Lexington-area patient care centers where testing is performed. Doctors can order lab tests and retrieve results online.

Nationally the largest lab companies in the U.S. are LabCorp and Quest Diagnostic, both are also innovative users of IT. Quest was among top healthcare companies in the information 500 in 2009.

An advantage for LabDx is that it's starting fresh, said Waller. Right now, it's small and nimble, and the Rhapsody technology will let it scale as it grows, she said. "We don't have the large overhead of large reference labs, so we're price competitive."

"Technology permeates the entire company, in every division and every department," said LabDx president Robert Mudd. "From lab instruments, to testing, to how orders are entered and results delivered back, technology is in every facet of the business."

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