LIMS Admin Investigation Items

Investigation Items & Parameters

An investigation item (also called a parameter or component) is a single measurable field within an investigation. For example, a Full Blood Count investigation has items such as WBC, RBC, HGB, HCT, MCV, MCH, MCHC, and PLT. This article explains how to add and configure items for an investigation.

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Accessing Investigation Item Configuration

1. Go to Menu > Admin > LIMS > Investigations.
2. Find and open the investigation you want to configure.
3. Go to the Items or Parameters tab.

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Adding a New Item

1. Click Add Item.
2. Fill in the following fields:

Basic Details

Field	Description
Name	Internal name (e.g., "WBC")
Printing Name	Name shown on the report (e.g., "White Blood Cells")
Short Name	Abbreviated label used in worksheets and analyzer code mapping
Order Number	Display sequence on the report — items are sorted by this number (lowest first)
Unit	The measurement unit shown next to the result (e.g., "10³/µL", "g/dL", "mmol/L")

Item Type

Type	Description
Numeric	A quantitative result with a decimal value (e.g., 12.4 g/dL)
Text / Categorical	A result selected from a predefined list of values (e.g., Positive / Negative, 1+ / 2+ / 3+)
Memo / Free text	A long-form text entry (e.g., morphology description, clinical comment)
Antibiotic List	A container item that groups antibiotic sensitivity results (used in microbiology)
Antibiotic	An individual antibiotic within an antibiotic list (used in microbiology)
Calculated	A value computed from other items using a configured formula
Image	An image upload field (e.g., peripheral blood film photograph)

Data Entry Method

Option	Description
Manual	The MLT types the result during report entry
Automated	The result is received from the analyzer via middleware — no manual entry needed

If Automated is selected, link the item to a specific Machine (analyzer). See Analyzer Automation Mapping.

Approval Validation

Field	Description
Cannot approve if value is empty	Prevents report approval until this field is filled in
Cannot approve if below absolute minimum	Blocks approval if the entered value is below the set minimum (catches implausible values)
Cannot approve if above absolute maximum	Blocks approval if the value exceeds the set maximum
Absolute minimum	The physiological lower bound (e.g., 0 for most measurements)
Absolute maximum	The physiological upper bound (e.g., 30 for haemoglobin in g/dL)
Warning message	Custom text displayed when the validation rule is triggered

3. Click Save Item. The item appears in the investigation's parameter list.

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Configuring Predefined Values (for Categorical Items)

For item types where the result is selected from a list (e.g., Positive / Negative, Trace / 1+ / 2+ / 3+):

1. Open the item and go to the Values sub-tab.
2. Click Add Value for each option in the list.
3. Enter the display label (what the MLT sees in the dropdown) and an optional code (for interface mapping).
4. Set the order number to control the sequence in the dropdown.
5. Save.

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Reordering Items

Items are displayed on the report in order number sequence. To change the display order:

1. Edit each item and update its Order Number.
2. Save. The report layout preview updates immediately.

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Deleting or Retiring an Item

If a parameter is no longer measured:

1. Open the item.
2. Click Retire or set it to inactive.

Retiring an item hides it from new reports but preserves historical data in existing approved reports.

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