Integration of text, image, and graphic data from different sources in laboratory reports: example of kidney stone reporting system.

Laboratory analyses may generate multiple data types that may reside in disparate systems, and combining data into a report often requires laborious, error-prone methods. Kidney stone analysis, which includes biochemical composition analysis and gross feature documentation, is an example of such a situation. We developed the kidney stone reporting system (KISS) that integrates patient and specimen information from the laboratory information system, digital images of stones, and analytic instrument data into a concise report for the ordering clinicians. The database management environment facilitates archival and retrieval capabilities. Implementation of the system has reduced the number of manual steps necessary to produce a report and has saved approximately 30 technologist hours per week. Transcription errors have been virtually eliminated. The KISS represents an innovative use of standard tools to integrate text, image, and graphic data from disparate systems into an integrated laboratory report, without the need for expensive interfaces.