As the Experts Retire: Building a Smart LIS to Support Serologic Investigations and Precision Transfusion

Sunday, October 18, 2026

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST

Room: B405

Program Chair(s)

Sunitha Vege, MS (she/her/hers)

Senior Technical Director, Genomics Laboratory
New York Blood Center Enterprises
Rye, New York

Speaker(s)

William J. Lane, MD, PhD

Associate Professor of Pathology
Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts
Lynsi Rahorst, MHPE, MLS(ASCP)SBB

Director, Education and Training
New York Blood Center Enterprises
Kansas City, Missouri

Proposed Session Description: What happens when the blood bank's most experienced problem-solvers retire, yet complex serologic workups remain dependent on paper algorithms and institutional memory? This session presents a working prototype of a "smart LIS" for decision support in the hospital blood bank and immunohematology reference lab (IRL): software that guides stepwise serologic investigations through configurable expert rules, automates antibody identification with antigen-by-antigen rule-in and rule-out logic, and provides context-aware next-step recommendations at each stage of the workup. The system reconciles serology with molecular genotyping across complex blood group systems including Rh, MNS, and ABO, converting findings into traceable, actionable transfusion recommendations and precision matching strategies.

The presentation will define a "smart LIS" and how customizable tools can be developed using AI-driven coding, with emphasis on strengthening operational workflows and training. Case-based applications integrating complex serologic and molecular investigations across the hospital blood bank and the IRL will be covered.

Learning Objectives:

Define "smart LIS" in the context of transfusion services and IRLs, including key guiding principles of transparency, auditability, safety-by-design, and clinician- and technologist-centered workflow.
Describe how rapid, AI-driven development can produce customizable decision-support tools while still supporting validation and change control in regulated laboratory environments.
Identify real-world examples of the potential for smart LIS system approaches to reduce variability, guide next-step decisions, and preserve expert knowledge, both for training and operations.
Apply structured approaches to complex antibody investigations that integrate serology, patient history, and comprehensive molecular testing into interpretations and transfusion precision matching recommendations.