NovoPath Debuts Web Portal for Patient Access to Test Result Reports

NovoPath introduces a customizable web portal to its NovoPath anatomic pathology laboratory information system (APLIS), helping customers efficiently comply with new legislation requiring labs to provide direct patient access to reports.  The new feature enables patients with test results to log on to a web portal through a lab’s website and download the documents generated through NovoPath’s APLIS.

The patient access law, recently enacted by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), requires laboratories to provide patients, or their designated representatives, access to completed test results without requiring their physician’s approval or the resulting laboratory.  The new rule also eliminates the exception under HIPAA of CLIA-certified or CLIA-exempt laboratories to provide reports.  Patients also can continue to obtain lab test reports from the ordering clinician.

“Web-based access to digital reports is one of the most efficient, economical and secure means of providing pathology test results to the patient, should the lab and ordering physician care to do so," comments Rick Callahan, vice president of sales and marketing for NovoPath.  “While labs could spend their time and resources to mail or fax written documents,” says Callahan, “the process is much more time-consuming with a greater risk of compromising patient privacy.”

Callahan notes that NovoPath is committed to staying ahead of the technology curve by offering advanced new functionalities and features.  “Given HIPAA’s emphasis on the patients’ right of access to their personal health information, the new HHS ruling was to be expected.  NovoPath developed this feature in anticipation of this ruling.  Providing web access to reports is almost effortless. It’s one more way of keeping our lab customers running smoothly and efficiently.”

The NovoPath Web Portal meets the highest commercially available security standards, alleviating the need to maintain handwritten logs, delivery receipts and other forms of manual tracking.

In addition to its Web Portal, NovoPath also offers a wide range of business management modules that help clients navigate today’s changing healthcare challenges. Today, NovoPath has one of the largest installed-bases of best-of-breed APLIS solutions.