APHL assists resource-constrained countries to develop systems to capture and exchange laboratory data to improve diagnosis and treatment of people living with HIV.

APHL supports the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the US President’s Global Health Initiative (GHI) with technical assistance in design and implementation of systems for exchange of laboratory data.  The association works in countries targeted by these initiatives.

Laboratory data is critical in determining prevalence and incidence rates and for monitoring treatment efficacy. An electronic (computerized) LIMS* --whether a basic, standalone computer or a robust web-based networked system--is essential for processing the large volume of data generated by HIV/AIDS programs.

To assist HIV/AIDS programs in acquiring appropriate LIMS systems, APHL developed a set of resources to support LIMS development in resource-limited settings. The set includes:

Guidebook for Implementation of Laboratory Information Systems (Guidebook): describes strategic and implementation planning for LIMS, the LIMS development cycle, and effective management of LIMS projects. This document gives laboratory managers/project managers and laboratory supervisors a tool for effective planning and oversight of a LIMS Project.

High-Level Requirements (HLR) document: identifies information system standards for objectively evaluating LIMS applications. It is useful for selecting systems and providers. The HLR describes in detail the functionalities of a LIMS, i.e., what the system should be able to do, and currently accepted best practices to meet industry standards.

LIS Toolkit:  a detailed manual for technical staff and a companion document to the HLR. It is valuable for use in LIMS evaluation and in selection of LIMS providers and applications.

LIS Software Provider Report: a continually updated list of commercially and publicly available laboratory software applications and providers that meet HLR or basic requirements for Interim (RM) LIMS solutions.

*Note: The acronyms LIS and LIMS are used interchangeably and refer to the same online systems for exchange of laboratory data. Although APHL has opted to use the term "LIMS," "LIS" appears in some documents written prior to this decision.