LIMS 'must become more powerful'

Laboratory information management systems (LIMS) must become more powerful if they are to continue to serve the needs of operators, particularly in the healthcare sector, it is suggested.

Kalorama Information, a provider of healthcare market research, has published Laboratory Information Systems (LIS/LIMS) Markets, its new forecast of the industry's likely growth in the years to come.

This expects a six per cent annual increase in the total market size to be recorded over each of the coming years.

Meanwhile, LIMS are predicted to need to handle higher volumes of data and increasingly complex information sets.

"Hospitals are rapidly automating and clinical LIS will need to offer features such as an interface with electronic charting ... analytics and data visualisation," says Kalorama Information publisher Bruce Carlson.

The research organisation has specialised in insight into medical markets for more than three decades, covering disciplines including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, healthcare, diagnostics and biotechnology.