Assessment of Laboratory Information Systems and Their Impact on Turnaround Time for Microbiological Results in Ibadan Teaching Hospitals

Timely reporting of microbiological results is critical for appropriate antibiotic prescribing and patient management in hospital settings. Laboratory information systems (LIS) are designed to streamline workflow, reduce transcription errors, and improve result turnaround times (TAT). This study assessed the availability, functionality, and impact of LIS on microbiological result TAT at two teaching hospital microbiology laboratories in Ibadan, Oyo State, South West Nigeria. A retrospective audit of 1,800 culture and sensitivity requests processed over six months was conducted. TAT was measured from sample receipt to verified result reporting. Qualitative interviews were conducted with laboratory scientists and clinicians to assess satisfaction and identify barriers. Results showed that the LIS-enabled laboratory achieved a mean TAT of 52.4 hours for bacteriology culture reports compared to 74.1 hours in the paper-based system laboratory. Critical result notification time was significantly shorter in the LIS laboratory (mean 1.2 hours vs. 4.6 hours). Clinician satisfaction scores were significantly higher for LIS-reported results. LIS limitations identified included frequent power outages requiring manual data re-entry and insufficient IT maintenance staff. These findings confirm that LIS implementation in clinical microbiology laboratories reduces TAT and improves clinician satisfaction, supporting the broader adoption of digital laboratory management systems in Nigerian teaching hospitals. Keywords: laboratory information system, turnaround time, microbiological results, clinical microbiology, Ibadan.