IDEXX lab management system upgrade on 8 April 2024.
Find detailed information about changes and improvements you might experience.
We are updating our behind-the-scenes lab management system, so we'll be improving the way we work for you. You will see the following improvements or small changes:
- Better alignment of result report structures across different delivery methods
- Enhanced clarity of result reports due to streamlined structure
- Some changes in units of measure of test results
- Minor changes in the structure of invoices
- Minor process changes when interacting with our lab
Improvements and changes to your results and reporting.
Result report structure and unit changes >
Preliminary pricing moved from result reports to VetConnect PLUS >
Result reporting process changes >
Test category specific changes >
Improvements and changes to your results and reporting.
Result report structure and unit changes
Report structure changes
You will experience the following structural changes in your chemistry results received by email or fax. These changes have been made to offer enhanced clarity and consistency of our result reports across different delivery methods (email or fax and VetConnect PLUS):
- Changes in order of tests:
- The order of tests has been adjusted to follow an improved medical logic and to be more consistent with the order used in VetConnect PLUS.
- PLEASE NOTE that fructosamine has moved to the end of the Clinical Chemistry section.
- Subsections for specific organs have been removed for enhanced clarity.
- Technician observations are now be displayed next to the respective parameter for easier location.
Unit changes
To achieve a better consistency in units of measure used in different result report delivery methods (email or fax and VetConnect PLUS), you will experience some changes regarding units of measure used to display test results (changes highlighted in bold):
| Conventional units | SI units | |||||
| Test name | Email report CURRENT | VetConnect PLUS CURRENT | Email report and VetConnect PLUS NEW |
Email report CURRENT | VetConnect PLUS CURRENT | Email report and VetConnect PLUS NEW |
| Folic acid | ng/mL | ng/mL | µg/L | nmol/L | nmol/L | nmol/L |
| Vitamin B12 | pg/mL | pg/mL | ng/L | pmol/L | pmol/L | pmol/L |
| Total T3 | µg/L | µg/L | ng/dL | nmol/L | nmol/L | nmol/L |
| Beta-hydroxybutyric acid | mg/L | mg/L | mg/dL | µmol/L | µmol/L | mmol/L |
| Phenobarbitone | µg/mL | µg/mL | µg/mL | µg/mL | µmol/L | µmol/L |
| Calcium | mmol/L | mg/dL | mg/dL | mmol/L | mmol/L | mmol/L |
| Magnesium | mmol/L | mg/dL | mg/dL | mmol/L | mmol/L | mmol/L |
| Phosphate | mmol/L | mg/dL | mg/dL | mmol/L | mmol/L | mmol/L |
PLEASE NOTE
These unit changes have the following impacts on results reported for the different analytes:
Conventional units:
- Folic acid, vitamin B12: No change in value
- Total T3, beta-hydroxybutyric acid: Shift in decimal point
- Calcium, magnesum, phosphate: Change in value
SI units:
- Beta-hydroxybutyric acid: Shift in decimal point
- Phenobarbitone: Change in value
You can select if you want your test results to be displayed in conventional or SI units by setting the respective preferences in VetConnect PLUS. Find instructions here.
Report structure changes
You will experience the following structural change in your hematology result reports received by email or fax.
The new report structure has been adjusted as follows:
- Small blood count:
- Erythrocytes
- Haematocrit
- Haemoglobine
- Erythrocyte indices
- Leukocytes
- Thrombocytes
- Differential blood count
- Reticulocytes
Unit changes
When receiving result reports by email or fax, you will experience some changes in the units of measure used to display hematology lab results. These changes have been made to achieve a better consistency with units of measure used in VetConnect PLUS, as well as between reference lab and IDEXX hematology in-house analyzer results (changes are highlighted in bold).
| Conventional units | SI units | |||||
| Test name | Email report CURRENT | VetConnect PLUS CURRENT | Email report and VetConnect PLUS NEW |
Email report CURRENT | VetConnect PLUS CURRENT | Email report and VetConnect PLUS NEW |
| Haemogram | ||||||
| RBC | T/L | M/µL | M/µL | T/L | 10^12/L | 10^12/L |
| PCV (Haematocrit) | % | % | % | % | L/L | L/L |
| Haemoglobin | g/dL | g/dL | g/dL | g/dL | g/L | g/L |
| MCV | fL | fL | fL | fL | fL | fL |
| MCH | pg | pg | pg | pg | pg | pg |
| MCHC | g/dL | g/dL | g/dL | g/dL | g/L | g/L |
| WBC | G/L | K/µL | K/µL | G/L | 10^9/L | 10^9/L |
| Platelets | G/L | K/µL | K/µL | G/L | 10^9/L | 10^9/L |
| Differential blood count | ||||||
| Neutrophils | /µL | K/µL | K/µL | /µL | 10^9/L | 10^9/L |
| Lymphocytes | /µL | K/µL | K/µL | /µL | 10^9/L | 10^9/L |
| Monocytes | /µL | K/µL | K/µL | /µL | 10^9/L | 10^9/L |
| Eosinophils | /µL | K/µL | K/µL | /µL | 10^9/L | 10^9/L |
| Basophils | /µL | K/µL | K/µL | /µL | 10^9/L | 10^9/L |
| % Reticulocyte | % | % | % | % | % | % |
| Reticulocytes | /µL | K/µL | K/µL | /µL | K/µL | K/µL |
| Reticulocyte haemoglobin | pg | pg | pg | pg | pg | pg |
PLEASE NOTE
- All unit of measure changes for hematology have only resulted in a shift in the decimal point.
- All units of measure used in VetConnect PLUS remain unchanged.
You can select if you want your test results to be displayed in conventional or SI units by setting the respective preferences in VetConnect PLUS. Find instructions here.
Report structure changes:
You will experience the following structural change for quantitative PCR result reports received by email or fax.
For enhanced clarity, the new report structure has been adjusted as follows:
- Quantitative PCR test results are reported in two lines providing:
- Defined text for positive and negative results.
- Numeric value of gene copies in case of positive findings.
- Large numbers expressed in scientific notation.
Consistent display of "no results"
- In cases where no results can be provided, the "~" sign is shown in the report.
- Where applicable, a footnote (number indicated at the right edge of the report) provides further details on the reason and next steps required.
Reporting of add-on test results:
- Improvements have been made to the way you will receive results for add-on tests. Whereas add-on test results were previously delivered in a separate result report, profiles and add-ons will now be run and reported together from the same accession. Therefore, you will receive just one consolidated result report. Manual intervention in VetConnect PLUS or in the PIMS is no longer required to merge the test results.
- Improvements have been made to the way you will receive results for tests that are added to an existing order at a later time. Whereas these test results were previously delivered in a separate result report, profiles and subsequent tests will now be run and reported together from the same accession. Therefore, you will receive just one consolidated result report. Manual intervention in VetConnect PLUS or in the PIMS is no longer required to merge the test results.
Preliminary pricing moved from result reports to VetConnect PLUS
Prior to the upgrade, IDEXX Reference Laboratories offered customers the service to view preliminary price statements for all tests ordered at the lab. Information on preliminary pricing was added as an additional page in each result report.
Pricing information will now be accessible using a new tool within VetConnect PLUS. This new tool enables you to create individualized pricing reports that are tailored to specific needs.
You can create reports based on specific date ranges or for specific patients.
- Patient-specific reports can be shared easily with pet owners.
- Reports based on date ranges allow for easy monthly cost reconciliation.
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The Preliminary Price Statement are available in two locations in VetConnect PLUS.
- Directly from the homepage
- On the results page for a specific patient
To generate a pricing statement for a specific patient:
Go to the patient results screen to create a report for this specific patient.
- You can view tests by date and filter to select list price or pet owner price.
To create a pricing statement for a specific date range:
Go to the VetConnect PLUS homepage, select a date range and price structure to create a report with all patients and tests resulted during the specified date range.
- You can view tests by date and filter to view list price or pet owner price.
Result reporting process changes
You will experience a change in the communication of test results that could not be performed. This situation only occurs in very few cases, e.g. when there is not sufficient sample material left to perform all the tests that have been ordered in a requisition.
Prior to the upgrade, we invoiced you for this missing test once you resubmit the new sample. We will now include all tests on your monthly invoice immediately. When you resubmit the new sample, there will not be an additional charge.
In cases like these, the following comment will appear in your result report: "Due to sample-related issues, we were unable to generate all of your results. Please submit a new sample, referencing this internal lab number on your submission form, and we will process that sample at no additional charge."
Some results will continue to be provided on a separate report. This happens, for example, for tests within certain profiles (e.g. Preventive Care) and also when ordering certain combinations of tests, e.g. parasitological and hematological tests.
Urine profile including cytological and bacteriological exam:
For the urine profile, the cytology test results will arrive on a separate report.
Exceptional pathology reviews for hematology CBCs:
Pathology reviews within CBCs that require a non-standardized comment will arrive on a separate report.
Test category specific changes
Order confirmations for immunotherapy are no longer be available through VetConnect PLUS. You will receive order confirmations via email instead.
Improvements and changes to your invoicing.
Monthly invoice format and structure changes
You will experience the following minor change in the structure of the monthly invoices:
Your LIMS ID has been removed from the top right corner of the invoice header. It will continue to be displayed in the Header Summary details.
Previous invoice structure
New invoice structure
You will experience the following minor change in the structure of the monthly invoice:
The sorting order of tests ordered was previously organized only by Invoice-Item number, not by date. The sorting order is now organized by Date, Accession Number, then Invoice-Item.
Previous invoice structure
New invoice structure
You will experience the following temporary change in the structure of the monthly invoice:
For an interim period of time, tests with no costs associated to them will appear on the consolidated monthly invoice, with a cost of €0.00. An example where customers will experience this is the Serum Index (= LH panel), which is part of many profiles. This test will be listed as a separate test with a cost of €0.00. We are continuing to optimize the new lab management system to provide you with a single line item for these profiles once again in the future.
Invoicing process changes
You will experience a change when you receive monthly invoice lists from IDEXX. These lists are now delivered on day three of each month (instead of previously on day two).
The start date of discounts will always be the 1st day of the following month. Retroactive discounting is no longer possible.
You will experience a change in the communication of test results that could not be performed. This situation only occurs in very few cases, e.g. when there is not sufficient sample material left to perform all the tests that have been ordered in a requisition.
Prior to the upgrade, we invoiced you for this missing test once you resubmitted the new sample. We will now include all tests on your monthly invoice immediately. When you resubmit the new sample, there will not be an additional charge.
In cases like these, the following comment will appear in your result report: "Due to sample-related issues, we were unable to generate all of your results. Please submit a new sample, referencing this internal lab number on your submittal form, and we will process that sample at no additional charge."