OpenELIS Software Release Roadmap
Document URL: http://roadmap.openelis-global.org
Version numbers: Major.Minor.DevState.Fix
For example for OpenELIS Global 3.1 release, it’s labeled 3.1.3.1
Major would now be 2. Minor would start at 0 and would go up anytime there's a new feature being added in. DevState is to communicate the internal development cycle we are in (0 = alpha, 1 = beta, 2 = release candidate, 3 = release). Fix is then any small change made to fix a bug or a security vulnerability.
Please be sure to use only versions that are tested for release as Alpha and Beta versions may have bugs.
EG: 2.7.3.x is a released version, 2.7.2.x is a beta version and should only be used to preview new features or participate in bug testing.
Please note that all dates are for code freeze, when the features are finished being developed. It is still necessary to go through documentation, regression testing and acceptance testing before it can be implemented in a lab. This process takes ~5 weeks to complete.
Current Release (in Production at labs)
OpenELIS Global 3.0 (August 2024)
● New UI / UX (example of an in-progress page below)
● Create a Rule builder for reflex and testing algorithms
○ Rule builder for Reflex tests and Algorithms.docx
● Adopt the Carbon Design System for UI/UX standardization and modernization
● Allow multiple results for a test (EG: numeric plus a calculated result)
● Allow Attachments to test results (EG: images, pdf, etc)
● Integrate with terminology service (OpenConceptLab)
● Add calculated values test type
● Enhanced HistoPathology Workflow
● Enhanced ImmunoHistoChemistry Workflow
● Add the ability for custom questions based on program
● Improved display of patient histories, including graphs of previous results.
● Add critical result values support
● Add ability to remember Facility/Ward/Dr and/or Sample/Test information
● Internal Dashboards for users
Current Development Target (Development in Progress)
● Creating a box of samples for referral to a reference lab
OpenMRS (in production) Electronic Medical Records
Global Open Facility Registry - GOFR (in production)
Geoprism Geospatial Registry (in testing) Facility Registry
SORMAS Outbreak Surveillance System (in progress) To import lab results into case management
Odoo (in Production) For inventory and Billing
Adobe Superset (in Production) - Open Source Dashboards and data visualization
OpenHIM (In Production)- Used to do routing, authentication and audit trail
OpenCR (In Production) - Client Registry to manage/import clients and perform deduplication
Future Release (To be scheduled)
Future Release Goals (Unscheduled)
● Add in-system notifications to the GUI
OpenELIS Global 2.7 (March, 2023)
● Billing and Inventory Functionality:
● Updates of all core technologies
● Allow < > symbols in numeric results (important for lower/upper limit on analyzers)
● Can now search for tests on the order entry screen
● Update the user interface to support React framework
● Ability to search by order date in the validation tab
● Bug fixes to the analyzer and reflex workflows
● More mature ASTM interfacing
● Removed extraneous UI element on order entry
Other security fixes and enhancements
OpenELIS Global 2.6 (July, 2022)
OpenELIS Global 2.5 (November, 2021)
OpenELIS Global 2.4 (September 2021)
OpenELIS Global 2.3 (March 2021)
OpenELIS Global 2.1 (September 2020)
OpenELIS Global 2.0 (Release 2.0: Jan 2020)
Current Release (in Production at labs)
OpenELIS 3.1
OpenELIS 3.1.x Release Summary
The OpenELIS 3.1.x series introduced several improvements, including bug fixes, UI enhancements, integration tests, and security updates. The releases focused on refining patient management, test reporting, and system responsiveness while ensuring better interoperability with external systems.
Release Notes
OpenELIS 3.1.0.0
Introduced Push Notification Service for real-time alerts.
Added support for querying Client Registry to retrieve patient data.
Improved API pagination for better data display.
Enhanced panel FHIR ordering for streamlined workflows.
Fixed patient report validation to ensure accurate test results.
Implemented user notifications for STAT orders.
Various styling and UI improvements for better usability.
OpenELIS 3.1.0.8
General bug fixes and stability improvements.
Minor version bump for performance optimization.
OpenELIS 3.1.0.7
Fixes for analyzer results to improve accuracy.
Minor UI adjustments for better user experience.
OpenELIS 3.1.0.6
Reverted a previous change to SpringContext.getBean() for stability.
Updated patient validation to support configurable regex.
Fixed sample editing issues in the older UI.
OpenELIS 3.1.0.5
Added provider integration tests for better system validation.
Introduced QR-style barcodes for improved tracking.
Hardened selectors for admin and batch order entry pages.
Implemented password expiry notifications for security.
OpenELIS 3.1.0.4
Improved header styling and global search bar responsiveness.
Added integration tests for patient services.
Enhanced multi-platform build support for Docker.
Fixed translation issues in French language settings.
For a full list of changes, you can check the official release page
Add in-system notifications to the GUI
Current Development Target (Development in Progress)
OpenELIS 3.2
Interoperability Roadmap
We use a fully featured FHIR R4 API, which allows interoperability with all other systems also using FHIR R4. This is a growing list of applications, with more being added all the time. We also have been working with some specific software stewards to ensure that the potential interoperability is tested and is working as expected. The software listed below is what we have heavily tested and are in production or are production ready. Those with “in progress” are those that are in current testing, but are expected to be working as intended as the APIs are compatible. For demo videos and more details, especially about the client registry and OpenMRS interoperability, please see http://healthinformationexchange.org
If you would like to be added to this list, please contact us at digit@uw.edu and we will be happy to work with you!
OpenMRS (in production) Electronic Medical Records
Global Open Facility Registry - GOFR (in production)
Geoprism Geospatial Registry (in testing) Facility Registry
WHONET - Microbiology System (In Production) - specialized data export for WHONET
SEDRI-LIMS - Antimicrobial Resistance (In Production) in discussions
SORMAS Outbreak Surveillance System (in progress) To import lab results into case management
Google Open Health Stack (in production) To extract data from a central data warehouse and provide real time dashboarding.
Open Concept Lab (in progress) Used to manage data definitions and allow semantic interoperability with other systems
Odoo (in Production) For inventory and Billing
Adobe Superset (in Production) - Open Source Dashboards and data visualization
OpenHIM (In Production)- Used to do routing, authentication and audit trail
OpenCR (In Production) - Client Registry to manage/import clients and perform deduplication
Future Release (To be scheduled)
Future Release Goals (Unscheduled)
Any item in Italic Bold is expected to be funded, the others are looking for sponsors
Creating a box of samples for referral to a reference lab
Add Symptoms to order entry
Support sample aliquoting
Add custom label configurations in test catalog management to include labels needed for the workflows (aliquot, freezer, incubator, etc)
Move control on the number/type of labels to the test catalog. EG: Test A will print 1 order label, 2 sample labels, and a freezer label
Add safety and preservation information to labels
Add Wards to GUI management
Links to the SORMAS disease outbreak management system
Turn Around TIme report
Feature lead: CI design group
Lab activity report
Feature lead: CI design group
Overhaul Help menu
Break PDF user menu into individual sections to allow easy in app use
Job Aids
Improve English user manual
New non-conformity reports
Automatic updates for software
On first sign on, user can view release notes.
Release notes added to overhauled help menu
Add Insurance Information
Past Releases
OpenELIS Global 3.0 (August 2024)
New UI / UX (example of an in-progress page below)
Demo: http://oe3.openelis-global.org/
User: admin
Pass: adminADMIN!
Video Demo: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/49isqid2hbcq0knpcdvby/basic-workflow.mp4?rlkey=u6cvebetb0by52ajt2nnkd1pe&dl=0
Create a Rule builder for reflex and testing algorithms
Adopt the Carbon Design System for UI/UX standardization and modernization
Allow multiple results for a test (EG: numeric plus a calculated result)
Allow Attachments to test results (EG: images, pdf, etc)
Integrate with terminology service (OpenConceptLab)
Add calculated values test type
Enhanced HistoPathology Workflow
Identify specimen origin (w/ Coding)
Pathology Stages supported (cutting, staining, slide workflow, etc)
Enhanced ImmunoHistoChemistry Workflow
Enhanced Cytology Workflow
Add the ability for custom questions based on program
Improved display of patient histories, including graphs of previous results.
Adding a Shared Health Record (SHR) and International Patient Summary to the consolidated server stack.
Add critical result values support
Add ability to remember Facility/Ward/Dr and/or Sample/Test information
Internal Dashboards for users
New, more human-friendly Lab Numbering scheme
Physician lookup of test results on the consolidated server.
Longitudinal patient test history across all sites
OpenELIS Global 2.7 (March, 2023)
Billing and Inventory Functionality:
Adopted the Odoo open source ERP/CRM system to provide this functionality
Configurable billing tab
Updates of all core technologies
New versions listed below
Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS
PostgreSQL 14.5
Docker 20.10.18
Apache Tomcat 8.5
Java 11
Maven 3.8.5
Python 3.10.4
HAPI FHIR 5.4.1
Allow < > symbols in numeric results (important for lower/upper limit on analyzers)
Single sign-on capability
Using SAML / OAuth2
Reject Tests from reception
Can now search for tests on the order entry screen
Update the user interface to support React framework
This will provide the ability to design much more interactive UI elements
Ability to search by order date in the validation tab
Enhanced backups
New aggregate reports
Bug fixes to the analyzer and reflex workflows
More mature ASTM interfacing
Removed extraneous UI element on order entry
Other security fixes and enhancements
OpenELIS Global 2.6 (July, 2022)
Features:
User Management Overhaul
Ability to set user access permissions by lab section
“Base permissions on User” capability
Simplification of roles
Reception, Results, and Validation are now configurable by lab section
Search usernames
able to filter users by active or not, admins, by test section
Tests available to order from order entry filtered by lab section
Implemented reporting range for tests in the test catalog
Patient reports by referring site and date
Add tests to the default catalog for Serology, Hematology, and Biochemistry Modules
Add Lists of physicians to the FHIR data structure, allowing requesters to be populated from the list.
Populate provider information from the provider registry on the consolidated server
See this link for information on how to add providers to the consolidated server
Improve Reports
Improve labels in Admin section
Integration with Global Open Facility Registry (GOFR)
GOFR is now available as part of our Consolidated Server stack of application. It provides an great UI to manage a master facility list, and OpenELIS can be configured to update the list of facilities in it using the MFL.
Please click here to see a video demo
All geographical fields (EG: address, city, region, district, etc) are now customizable from the user interface in the admin menu.
Improved Integration with OpenMRS
Using the FHIR Module
Repaired the facility search on the Organizations page
Added support to scan the sample labels (XXX.1, XXX.2, etc) in all fields where order numbers can be searched.
Support order priority
STAT, ASAP, timed, future STAT, routine
Order priority will appear in workplans and order entry
STAT orders being received will alert those in the workflow at appropriate times
Hide the reference value on the patient report for select list tests for added clarity.
Finalized Quantstudio 3 support for COVID 19 analyzer interfaces
OE now loads current values into the reference range when editing a test
Test name now wraps on the patient report to support longer test names.
All countries now appear for nationality in patient registration
Redesigned Order entry page - Samples are together with the list of tests available now
Reflex Test Pop Up notifications
Add Native ASTM support
Add Methods to tests
OpenELIS Global 2.5 (November, 2021)
Features:
Ability for OpenELIS to communicate with clinical lab analyzers via HL7
This enables bidirectional communication with analyzers, lab equipment can query OpenELIS for pending tests of the appropriate type, and import patient and sample data. The results are reported back to the LIS.
Electronic Orders screen refactored to increase speed of searches when incoming samples are over 150,000 samples.
GenExpert Analyzer interface via HL7
Ability to set the default number of barcodes for orders in the admin menu
Reporting Ranges are now implemented in the test catalog.
If the result reported is outside of the reporting range, there is a pop-up which
Current reference ranges now load when editing a test, also select list options are similarly retained.
Previously, the reporting ranges and select list options were dropped when editing a test, now this has been fixed.
Fix to analyzer import for flat files
Referred tests now no longer show a results date when no results are ready
OpenELIS Global 2.4 (September 2021)
Features:
Complete redesign of the referral workflow:
These new features should help labs manage a large number of tests that will be referred to a lab for results. This should be extremely useful for sites where COVID sampling is happening and sent to a lab for analysis, or for the viral load testing as part of HIV care, but has many other uses as well.
Now tests sent to reference laboratories can be sent and received electronically
Reception of referred samples can be accomplished by just scanning the barcode
Patient reports can be printed directly from the referral screen
Status of all referred tests can be seen in the tables
See the user manual for a complete representation of changes, or visit the demo
One step referral from both the order entry screen and the results entry screen
Default the sent date to the current date when referring a test
Default the ordered test to the selected test in the referral menu
Redesign of the electronic orders page
Search for incoming orders by passport number, national ID, referred lab number, etc
Enter an order directly from the electronic orders screen
View details of an incoming order
Print patient reports by patient
Search for a patient and generate all reports for them in the patient report screen
Add checking to ensure that no characters that can cause a system error can be saved in the “Lab Number” field, even if validation is deactivated
Ability to designate a lab test as “In Lab Only”, creating the ability to designate an internal QA check test that is not reported on the patient report.
Units / Wards in a hospital no longer need to have unique names
Result and validation screens capped to 99 results for faster loading
Biological Validation Screens: Created the ability to validate by accession number or by range of accession numbers.
Increased the speed of results and validation screen loading
Increased the speed of saving results and validation screens
QuantStudio 3
Create experiment files for QS3 with plate setup and results file import
Removed the non-interactive background images
Improved the new patient demographic import
First the system searches the local DB and displays any options, then it displays the options downloaded from the remote demographics server when they are ready
Previously, it would wait till all sources were finished before displaying results
Fixed various issues with the test catalog tools (significant digit fixes, switching test types, adding options to result entry)
Fixed various bugs, including the “Too many redirects” installer bug
Updates to patch potential security vulnerabilities
Did a full scan for vulnerabilities, both in source code and a scan of the application
Fixed security issues, updated any software moving to end of life, updated the target installation environment to Ubuntu 20.
Consolidated Lab Data Warehouse Features:
Holds information about every OpenELIS test run in a national lab network
Serves the latest facility registry information, including wards
Now collects more of the OpenELIS data model in FHIR format, including sample information and codable concepts for lab results
“Data Mart” style flat table creation for reporting on specific indicators
COVID-19 Reporting is the first set of indicators developed
This produces tables that can have visualizations developed using any data analysis software (EG: PowerBI, Tableau, Big Query, etc)
OpenELIS Global 2.3 (March 2021)
Features:
Enhanced email and SMS result reporting tools for all types of results
New features allow one to set conditions and defaults for messaging.
EG: setting a custom message for non-normal range results for a specific test, and specifying that it should go via SMS to the patient and email to the provider.
One can specify a custom message for any test in the catalog, and specify what method (email or SMS) and in what scenarios the test should be sent (all results, normal range results, or non-normal results).
Ad-hoc notifications, the ability in the order entry screen to specify that an SMS or email should be sent to the ordering physician or patient. Defaults are set via the admin screen.
ASTM Analyzer interfaces
Enhanced analyzer connection functionality to compliment the existing flat file import capability.
Electronic Referrals Functionality
Connecting the reference lab network to the consolidated server
Referred tests arrive electronically to the reference lab, allowing a scan of the barcode on the order or sample to import the test request, and simplify the reception process.
Results are sent back to the requesting system electronically, allowing for much faster results.
This has big implications for Viral Load of HIV testing, Early infant Diagnosis of HIV, COVID-19 and other outbreak diseases, and any reference test where speed of result is of the essence.
It will alleviate some of the bottlenecks faced at reception for reference labs.
New accession number format
Now more total numbers are available per year
The ability to not validate accession number format
This allows any number to be used as long as it doesn’t already exist in the system.
The practical application is that one could use commercially pre-printed barcodes, or use different prefixes for different purposes within one lab
Note: part of the 2.2 patch release
Custom pre-printed barcode accession number formatting
Allows use of a custom prefix for preprinted barcodes.
Pediatric reference ranges added
We now support reference (normal) and valid ranges going down to days! This is very useful for pediatric testing.
We also added days to age entry on the order entry page.
Panels now stay in the order they were assigned
Analyzer plugin and plate setup for QuantStudio3 Analyzer for COVID-19 testing
Support for sub-locations (EG departments or wards)
OpenELIS Global can now pull the facilities list from the consolidated server.
OpenELIS Global 2.1 (September 2020)
This is a re-write of OpenELIS on modern frameworks and a significant security upgrade. At the end of this process, all tech will be currently supported and up to hardening standards. This software will be certified for use on US Government, and other high-security networks.
Features
Added a FHIR R4 based API for electronic test orders and results reporting. We have a FHIR API which allows OpenELIS Global to accept electronic test requests, electronic transmission of test results and allows the use of a centralized consolidated lab data server for reporting. This interoperability uses LOINC to match ordered tests with the internal catalog. More details at http://docs.openelis-global.org
Video Demo of the link with OpenMRS
Added support for electronic signatures for lab reporting
OpenELIS Global is now in full compliance with the WHO’s Stepwise Laboratory Quality Improvement Process Towards Accreditation (SLIPTA) checklist (https://aslm.org/resource/whos-stepwise-laboratory-quality-improvement-process-towards-accreditation-slipta-checklist/ )
Support for COVID testing
Built a Airport Passenger public health screening form which can be previewed at https://testing.openelisci.org
This is so that passengers can self-register on arrival for a COVID test, get swabbed on arrival at the airport and have test requests relayed via FHIR to the OpenELIS system at the airport lab.
Demo of the self registration process:
Demo of the OpenELIS workflow after the registration:
Created the ability to email and COVID results to patients
Added COVID-19 tests to the default test catalog
Developed analyzer interface for PCR results
Preprinted barcodes – Added the ability to create pre printed barcoded labels for sample collection
Created an enhanced search functionality which can perform partial matches and be connected to a demographics server to import search results.
One button validation – Added the option to validate all tests within normal ranges with one click on the validation screen
Hid the normal range display for select list tests – was counterintuitive and confusing for this test type
Added the ability to set a default test result in new/edit test
Changed reports to a plugin and added the ability to manage reports menus dynamically
Built the ability to import the organizations list from a file, details in documents
Built the ability to import geographic units from a file, details in documents
Added fields for contact person and details in patient information
Added sample nature (ante-mortem, post-mortem or environmental) to sample information
Updated the admin menu to make it less confusing (no submenus, reordered entries)
Added English User’s Manual
Improvements to the English language localization
Various Bug fixes and cosmetic improvements
OpenELIS Global 2.0 (Release 2.0: Jan 2020)
This is a re-write of OpenELIS on modern frameworks and a significant security upgrade. At the end of this process, all tech will be currently supported and up to hardening standards. This software will be certified for use on US Government, and other high-security networks.
features
Java: Moving from Struts I to Spring
Removal of any unused code from the codebase
CIS Benchmarks applied to the underlying technology
Updates to Tomcat 8.5, Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, Postgres 9.9, Reporting frameworks, Hibernate, etc
Checks against Cross-site scripting and *-Injection controls, CSRF - Cross-site request forgery, etc
Change/Add select list options
Non-Conformity Overhaul
Change/Add select list options
Reports moved to a plugin - with this we don’t need a new release to add new reports to a system, this may also allow remote report template distribution in the future (NOT in this release)
Add missing elements to the audit trail
Improved French Localization
New Service Layer
The service layer is an important part of a web project as it isolates service logic from Controllers (which provide url mapping and routing), Data Access Objects (which provide persistence to the database), and Model objects (which hold data in memory). Service logic is typically anything having to do with completing an action in the back end.
An example of this is entering an order requires saving a patient, saving a sample, and reporting the result back to the Controller so it can be displayed to the user. The service layer would call the DAOs to save the objects, check the results of the saves, update the audit trail to reflect the new objects, and report the success of the saves. If one or more of the saves were unsuccessful, the service layer would undo the changes so the order is not in a half-saved state.
In the previous version, the service layer was poorly defined and service logic was often mixed in with Controllers and DAOs, so an effort was made to better define the service layer, and extract service logic from objects it should not be a part of. This will hopefully provide greater stability and greater ease of development as the layers are better defined.
The new service layer provides:
Transaction managementl
Audit trail logging
Abstraction of internal mechanisms
Centralized service logic
Update deployment methodology, OE is now deployed via Docker
Release 1.9.1 (May 2019)
New Study Reports and Viral Load Study Forms
More data available in the csv export
Improved Workflow for analyzer plugins
Plugins now allow mapping one time to the test name and to the GUID
Configuration needed added to the analyzer plugins
OE Underlying software modernization
The core tech underlying our deployments of OE has aged! We must upgrade to the newer versions of this tech
Tomcat 8.5
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS
Postgres 9
Older Releases
Release 8.2 (June 2018)
Viral Load Dashboard data exchange
Add support for EID and Viral Load to Batch Entry
Bridge between OpenMRS (iSante+) and OpenELIS
HL7 v2.5.1 OML^O21 for Order Reception
HL7 v2.5.1 ORU^R01 for Order Updates and Results
Add UI to view messages on the bridge
Add LOINC code compatibility to the test catalog
Edit Tests Functionality
Name
Panel assignment
Unit of measure
Type of Result
Normal ranges for age ranges
Significant digits
Result list assignment
Release 8.1 (March, 2018)
features
Barcode label printing
Order batch entry
Allows for very efficient data entry, speeding up the sample intake process.
Confirmation intake folded into order entry
Batch Outgoing Confirmation / Batch Order entry
Amélioration du texte en français, dans les différentes localisations
Release 7.1 (Aug, 2017)
features
Update “general” context to work at RETROCI lab
Fix the search fields in the general context
Make all reports version configurable, choose which version (EG: Patient Report: Standard, Condensed, RETROCI, IPCI) from the admin menu. This is good for future (EG: English or French versions).
Liquibase: If it doesn’t exist, add the referral table to the DB
Report: add the referral flag to the RETRO-CI Patient Report
Add option to show the button to auto-generate the Accession number on the studies forms in the admin menu. This should be enabled by default. If it is not selected, it will display the hard coded prefix with the blank box for adding the number (like the current behavior)
CDC Required security upgrades to address cross-site scripting, as well as other vulnerabilities.
Requisite updates to the installer
Requisite updates to liquibase
Secure http headers/methods/communication
Add admin option to enable electronic lab manager signature, and option to choose the file containing signature.
Update all reports to contain the optional signature
Ongoing analyzer plug ins as output files become available
Lightcycler (CEPREF) for viral load - We have output files
Cycler (at CEDRES) - We have output files
Release 6.2 (December, 2016)
features
Studies framework
Configurable item that controls whether the studies order entry and reports appear in the top menu
Unit of Measure management (add UOM, change name, etc)
Custom CSV export
Viral Load form and Report (RetroCI only)
Improvements to localization
Capabilities
La fonction étude de la version RETRO-CI sera associée aux items de la version régionale
Bilan initial et bilan suivi combinés en un seul rapport
Le rapport de routine exporté par CSV
Formulaire et rapport de la charge virale sont ajoutés au menu
Configuration menu possible depuis la page administration
Menu déroulant de la gestion des tests sera ajouté aux items du menu admin
Les unités de mesure sont gérables maintenant par les utilisateurs
Ajout des non-conformités en fonction des unités du laboratoire
Optimiser le texte de telle sorte que l’impression des rapports des patients puisse tenir sur une seule page
Amélioration du texte en français, dans les différentes localisations
Release 6.1 (April, 2016)
Confirmed Features
Consolidate Report ARV Inital 1 and ARV Suivi 1 into one template with a variable item in the header which says “Suivi” or “Initial” based on the study type, consolidate the headers (put serology and Diagnostic Moléculaire both on the report, but keep to one page. This has been completed. (RetroCI only)
Test catalog management
Add new test
Add sample type
Add panels
Add result select list
Add unit of measure
Edit unit of measure names
Edit test section name
Edit sample type name
Edit Panels
Compare and drop contexts for extra OE versions
Serology Algorithm (All Versions)
Installer can now reset lost database role password
Various localization improvements to the French text.
Login page message now matches the English with a data access message.
Capabilities
Consolider le rapport ARV Inital 1 et ARV Suivi 1 dans un modèle avec un élément variable dans l'en-tête qui indique «Suivi» ou «Initial» en fonction du type d'étude, consolider les en-têtes (mettre la sérologie et Diagnostic Moléculaire sur le rapport), Garder à une page. Ceci est terminé. (RETRO-CI seulement)