New in ZIMS for Medical: Many more IDEXX test results now upload directly to ZIMS

Species360 is pleased to announce that our integration with IDEXX VetConnect PLUS®  now supports additional test categories.

Available immediately, ZIMS for Medical Test Upload has been expanded to include IDEXX results for parasitology, microbiology, toxicology, serology, immunology, endocrinology, urinalysis and molecular diagnostic (PCR) tests.

ZIMS Test Upload makes it faster and easier for zoo and aquarium veterinary teams to record test results by uploading them directly to the patient’s ZIMS for Medical record. Introduced in 2020, the feature is a popular tool for ZIMS for Medical users – the initial release provided support to import hematology and chemistry diagnostic results. Since launch, many members have asked us to expand the types of test results available upload.

Like the original feature, the expanded Test Upload reduces manual data entry and is expected to help veterinary teams record patient test results faster and with greater accuracy. These additional test categories are more complex to integrate than the original two, so we conducted thorough testing to achieve a high rate of success importing these results from IDEXX.

Making Test Upload easier to use

While expanding Test Upload, we also improved usability. Users will see smarter defaults for sample type, the IDEXX requisition number included in the test result note, and more informative messages for invalid and failed uploads. When ZIMS encounters a test it is unable to process, Test Upload now imports the result to a generic test, so the result details can be included in the Test & Result note and nothing is lost.

Powering ZIMS Global Expected Test Results

ZIMS Test Upload has vastly increased the amount of test results data contributed to the ZIMS Global Expected Test Results, a vital reference within the Global Medical Resources used by veterinarians worldwide. Global Expected Test Results apply modern analytics to anonymous, aggregated ZIMS data to show the “expected” test results for a species based on sex, restraint type, test methodology, and sample type. These insights are used by veterinarians to compare an individual animal’s results to what is known for its species worldwide. That information equips them to better interpret, analyze and act upon test results for their patients.

Data Integrity: Because these records contribute to the Global Medical Resources, data quality is a priority. When the data coming from a lab is incomplete or does not follow ZIMS global data standards, we will include those details in a note on the test result. This ensures that nothing is lost and that data integrity is maintained.

Responding to members: IDEXX and members of the Species360 community provided the funding for the first phase of Test Upload. During development we focused on high frequency hematology and chemistry test types to keep the project achievable and scalable. The feature has been extremely popular among our members, saving them time and increasing accuracy– many of you have asked us to add more types of test results to ZIMS Test Upload. We are pleased to deliver on those requests, and look forward to your continued feedback as we continue to improve ZIMS.

ZIMS Test Upload is integrated with IDEXX VetConnect Plus in Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Nordic countries, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. As IDEXX rolls out VetConnect Plus in other regions, we will expand our coverage for those locations as well.

At this time, we do not have immediate plans to expand the current functionality of the other laboratories supported by our Test Upload lab integration; this expansion is limited to IDEXX VetConnect Plus clients.

The update to Test Upload is available to all ZIMS for Medical users. Would you like a review of ZIMS Test Upload? Click here for the ZIMS Test Upload How-To Guide.

The Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS) is maintained by nonprofit Species360. For more information, email Support@Species360.org