The Laboratory Outpatient Improvement Project (LOIP) is a new, person-and family-centered approach to improving lab services at Northern Health. It includes the following changes:
- Requisition (digitization/ScanLab)
- Phone self-scheduling (through regional call centre)
- Online self-scheduling (through HealthELife)
- Lab scheduling (through Cerner)
- Patient queue management (through NH Check In)
Non-urgent requisition will take 48 hours to process. Then, patients can access labs three ways:
- Book an appointment by phone. Find numbers for each community
- Book an appointment online using HealthELife
- Check in or drop in, where available, using NH Check In
Note: These services are being implemented between November 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023. They may not be available in your community yet, see the project schedule below.
For more information, email LabServicesQRT@northernhealth.ca
ScanLab reduces paper, and provides an efficient, digital database to retrieve requisitions. Physicians send requisitions to a centralized fax number, where digitization occurs.
Find the fax number for your community, including separate numbers for urgent requisitions.
Laboratory patients can book appointments and ask questions about their appointment, letting laboratory professionals focus on providing quality care and results.
Laboratory patients can book appointments using Northern Health’s HealthELife application, letting laboratory professionals focus on providing quality care and results.
Laboratory appointments will be automated using Cerner, letting laboratory professionals focus on providing quality care and results.
Laboratory patients can check into their booked appointment and drop-ins, if available, using the NH Check In application.
The LOIP improvements are occurring in phases, and should be completed by September 2023. Different features will roll out to communities at different times. Not all features will be available in every community (based on local consultation).
Phase 1: October 2021 to December 2022
- Kitimat
- Quesnel
- Chetwynd
- Vanderhoof
- Prince George - Phoenix
- Prince Rupert
- Terrace
Phase 2: October 2022 to March 2023
- Prince George - UHNBC
- Fort St. John
- Smithers
- Burns Lake
- Fraser Lake
- Tumbler Ridge
- Houston
- Dawson Creek
Phase 3: May 2023 to September 2023
- Fort Nelson
- Hazelton
- Fort St. James
- Mackenzie
- McBride
- Masset
- Daajing Giids (formerly the Village of Queen Charlotte)
- Valemount
- Hudson's Hope
- Stewart
- Dease Lake
Resources
- Lab Outpatient Improvement Project contact information (PDF) - Northern Health
- Lab Outpatient Improvement Project summary: Infographic (PDF) - Northern Health
- Lab Outpatient Improvement Project summary (video) - Northern Health