iSpecimen today launched a program designed to help healthcare providers offer their biospecimens to help researchers more easily connect their sample and data management systems to the company’s iSpecimen Marketplace online platform.
The iSpecimen Data Connector Program provides off-the-shelf data connectors for a variety of widely-used medical record systems, including laboratory information management systems (LIMS), laboratory information systems (LIS), and integrated electronic medical record (EMR) systems.
One LIMS, the proprietary SLIMS platform of Genohm, will also be connected to the iSpecimen Marketplace via the program through a partnership launched today by Genohm and iSpecimen. In addition to Genohm SLIMS, iSpecimen has already created connectors to systems that include OpenSpecimen, Forte OnCore, MEDITECH, Sunquest, and Epic Beaker, as well as to databases such as Oracle, Microsoft Access, and Microsoft Excel.
Biorepositories and healthcare providers that link their data and specimen inventories to the iSpecimen Marketplace benefit, according to iSpecimen, by gaining new sources of revenue through access to researchers worldwide who need samples. Researchers who visit the iSpecimen Marketplace can search the entire network for the specimens they seek, using precise inclusion and exclusion criteria designed to reduce the time and costs of procuring specimens.
Other benefits of the iSpecimen Marketplace include simplified contracting, compliance, and order management for all participants, the company added.
“Biorepositories and other healthcare organizations need more operating revenue, more awareness for their biospecimen collections, and an easy way to connect to researchers who desperately need samples,” said Christopher Ianelli, M.D., Ph.D., founder and CEO, iSpecimen. “Through our Data Connector Program and integration with the iSpecimen Marketplace, participating LIMS, LIS and EMR vendors gain more value to offer their customers.”
The iSpecimen Data Connector Program is open to all major vendors of LIMS, LIS, EMR systems, and databases that manage biospecimen data. Participating software vendors will receive up-front technology development support to interface their systems with the iSpecimen Marketplace, as well as marketing support designed to raise awareness of the combined solution, iSpecimen said.
Headquartered in Lexington, MA, iSpecimen aims to serve as a source for biofluids, solid tissue, and primary cells, offering clinical remnants, banked samples, and samples collected prospectively for research. The company obtains its biospecimens from partners that include hospitals, commercial laboratories, biorepositories, blood centers, Health Information Exchanges, specialty clinics, and other healthcare institutions.