AI lab report interpretation that a pathologist reviews and signs
AI report interpretation means software drafting the comments a pathologist would otherwise type: what the pattern of results suggests, what to tell the patient in plain words, which follow-up tests might help and which values look wrong. In PathLab Software the AI only drafts; the pathologist edits, accepts or discards every draft, and signs the report as before.
What does the AI report assistant draft?
Interpretive comment for the report
Up to about 70 words in cautious clinical language ("suggestive of", "kindly correlate clinically"), never a definitive diagnosis. Once accepted it prints on the report under "Interpretive comment (reviewed and signed by …)" and becomes part of the signed, fingerprinted report.
Plain-language patient summary
A short explanation in the patient's language: English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam or Marathi. When accepted it is sent with the report on WhatsApp instead of the template explainer, and it always ends by asking the patient to show the report to their doctor.
Suggested reflex and add-on tests
Up to four tests with a one-line reason, for example serum ferritin after a microcytic picture. The pathologist can add one to the same sample with a click, free or charged; nothing is added automatically.
AI flagger before sign-off
Results that look implausible, inconsistent with each other or worth repeating before release, shown next to the rule-based plausibility check.
Sample AI-assisted report section
Complete blood count · sample data
| Test | Result | Ref range |
|---|---|---|
| Haemoglobin | 9.4 L | 12.0–15.5 g/dL |
| MCV | 68 L | 80–100 fL |
| MCH | 21 L | 27–32 pg |
| RDW-CV | 17.8 H | 11.5–14.5 % |
| Platelets | 4.6 lakh H | 1.5–4 lakh |
Interpretive comment (reviewed and signed by Dr. S. Anand): Microcytic hypochromic anaemia with raised RDW and reactive thrombocytosis, suggestive of iron deficiency. Suggest serum ferritin and peripheral smear. Kindly correlate clinically.
How the review works
- Results are entered or arrive from the analyzer; the plausibility check runs at once.
- Any user who enters results can ask for an AI draft; it arrives in a few seconds.
- A pathologist edits the text, accepts it or discards it; typing or dictating an own comment needs no AI at all.
- On sign-off, the accepted comment prints on the report and the accepted patient summary goes with it on WhatsApp.
- Every draft, edit, acceptance and discard is in the audit trail with user and time.
See a complete signed report with QR verification on the sample report page.
Rules that run on every sample, without AI
Plausibility check
Direct bilirubin above total, HDL above total cholesterol, albumin above total protein, the Hb × 3 ≈ PCV rule, MCHC outside 28–37 g/dL, differential not totalling 100%, possible haemolysis behind a raised potassium, extreme values and delta-check failures.
Calculated parameters
LDL (Friedewald, skipped when triglycerides are 400 mg/dL or more), VLDL, TC/HDL ratio, globulin, A/G ratio, estimated average glucose and eGFR (CKD-EPI 2021, adults) are computed as soon as their inputs are saved; a typed or analyzer value always wins.
Reflex rules
Rules such as "fasting glucose ≥ 126 → suggest HbA1c" or "Dengue NS1 positive → suggest CBC" either suggest the test to the technician or add it automatically, charged or free, as the pathologist decides.
Privacy and safety
AI is switched off until the lab turns it on for its workspace. Only age, sex, clinical notes and results are sent to the AI service; name, phone, address and ABHA are not. Each workspace has a daily usage cap, and drafts are stored only in the lab's own records. The AI is advisory: it can be wrong, it does not know the patient's history beyond the order, and the responsibility for the signed report stays with the pathologist, as the security page and NABL page describe. The assistant is included in Pro and Chain.
Frequently asked questions
Does AI sign or release lab reports in PathLab Software?
No. The AI report assistant only writes drafts. A pathologist reads, edits and accepts or discards each draft, and the report is still validated and signed by that pathologist. Nothing AI-written reaches a report or a patient without that acceptance, and every draft and decision is kept in the audit trail.
What patient data does the AI see?
Only age, sex, clinical notes typed on the order, and the results with units, reference ranges, flags and delta notes. The patient's name, phone number, address and ABHA are not sent. The lab must switch AI on for its workspace, and only usage counts are stored, never the prompt or answer text, outside the lab's own draft record.
Which languages can the patient summary be in?
The patient summary is drafted in the patient's report language set at registration: English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam or Marathi. The pathologist edits it before it is sent with the report on WhatsApp.
What is the plausibility check?
A set of rules that runs on every sample without AI: impossible combinations such as direct bilirubin above total, the Hb × 3 ≈ PCV rule, differential counts not adding to 100%, likely haemolysis on a raised potassium, values outside plausible limits and delta-check failures. Warnings appear on the result-entry screen before sign-off.
Can a pathologist dictate the comment?
Yes. On Chrome or Edge the comment box has a dictate button that uses the browser's speech recognition; the transcript is editable before saving. The audio is handled by the browser vendor, not stored by PathLab Software. A comment can also be typed with no AI involved.
Which plans include the AI report assistant?
The AI report assistant is included in Pro (₹3,999 a month) and Chain (₹7,999), with a fair-use daily limit per workspace. The rule-based plausibility check, calculated parameters and reflex rules work on every plan.
Your lab, live in two working days.
Free setup and migration from Excel, Word or your current lab software. We connect your analyzers over a screen share, set up QC targets and train your staff in Tamil or English. Monthly billing from ₹1,999, no annual lock-in, cancel any month, and a full data export on request at no charge.