SpeedsPath Glossary of Terms

Uptime

Uptime refers to the total amount of time a pathology Lab Information System (LIS) or related lab software is fully operational, accessible, and functioning without interruption. High uptime is critical in pathology labs where continuous workflow, timely result processing, and dependable instrument connectivity are essential for patient care.

Key Points About Uptime in Pathology Lab Software

• Measures system reliability, typically represented as a percentage (e.g., 99.9% uptime).
• Indicates how often the LIS or lab software is available without crashes, slowdowns, or outages.
• Directly impacts sample processing, reporting timelines, and lab productivity.
• Includes server stability, network availability, and database performance.
• Vendors often include uptime guarantees in Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
• Higher uptime leads to better patient care and fewer delays.
• Critical for 24/7 labs, STAT testing, and emergency case workflows.
• Frequent downtimes can cause data loss, report delays, and billing interruptions.
• Uptime is supported by redundancy, failover systems, and cloud hosting.
• Monitoring tools are used to track uptime, detect issues, and alert IT teams.

FAQs: Uptime in Pathology Lab Management Software

1. What is considered a good uptime for LIS software?
   Most pathology labs expect 99.9% or higher uptime, meaning the system is down for less than ~9 hours per year.
2. How does uptime affect lab workflow?
   Low uptime can halt order entry, specimen tracking, interfacing, result entry, and report delivery—leading to major delays.
3. Is uptime the same as system performance?
   Not exactly. A system can be “up” but still slow. Uptime refers to availability, while performance refers to speed and responsiveness.
4. What causes downtime in a lab system?
   Common causes include server failures, network issues, software bugs, database corruption, or planned maintenance.
5. How can a lab improve uptime?
   Using cloud hosting, redundant servers, efficient IT management, and proactive monitoring tools improves uptime significantly.
6. Are planned maintenance periods counted as downtime?
   In most SLAs, planned maintenance is excluded, but this varies by vendor.
7. How do labs track uptime?
   Through logs, uptime monitoring tools, SLA reports, and infrastructure analytics dashboards.
8. Why is uptime critical in pathology?
   Because delays in processing and reporting can impact patient diagnosis, treatment, and hospital workflows.
9. Can instrument interfacing issues affect uptime?
   Yes. If instruments disconnect from LIS, it can disrupt workflows and indirectly reduce practical uptime.
10. What happens if uptime drops below SLA levels?
    Vendors may offer service credits, penalties, or escalated support depending on contract terms.

Want to learn more? Explore our LIS Glossary or check out our expert blogs on Anatomic Pathology, Molecular Diagnostics, Cytology, and Lab Information Systems.