LabNet is a network that puts haematologists in Italy in touch with labs throughout the country that perform highly sophisticated blood tests (molecular biology) which are essential for diagnostic purposes and in order to assess whether a treatment is working as expected.

The project, which was initially set up for Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) analyses, has now broadened to include Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) and the analysis of a specific biological characteristic (JAK) for Philadelphia-negative Chronic Myeloproliferative Neoplasms and Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS).

Purpose and birth of the project

Having reliable blood tests, with the same quality levels, throughout Italy, is no mean feat, especially when it involves putting into practice sophisticated techniques that require a high level of precision, an essential pre-requisite for correct therapy management. And it so to meet this challenge that LabNet was first set up.

The project helps to ensure:

that patients undergoing treatment at clinical centres that can’t rely on the support of highly specialised labs can still access specific diagnostic tests with extremely high-quality standards;
that Italian clinical centres can take advantage of standardized and highly specialised diagnostic tests that are not available locally while also being able to take part in research projects.

LabNet has ensured that the participating laboratories use the same scale (the so-called International Scale) for all test results: thus, when performing a specific analysis at an LabNet lab, the result will always be posted using the same method.

In order to continue being a part of the LabNet network, the labs must regularly undergo the required quality controls to ensure that that their method retains is validity.

This enables haematologists to monitor a patient’s disease and their response to the treatment in the best way possible and using the same method, regardless of where the patient is being treated.

The LabNet platforms

To make this feasible and easily accessible to doctors and patients a series of web platforms have been set up for each project to manage the exchange of information and data and their storage. These platforms can be considered first network in the world on a geographic scale between molecular biology labs and haematology centres, that covers an entire country.

The project has been designed taking into account the need to protect the confidentiality of the data of the patients involved, in compliance with the privacy by design principle and the strict security standards and prescriptions governing the protection of personal data introduced by the GDPR.

How it works

The clinical centre registers on the chosen platform (LabNet AML, LabNet CML, JakNet, LabNet MDS) and is assigned a reference lab. The clinical centre can choose the lab based on existing collaborations/agreements or can be assigned to a lab by the platform according to geographic criteria.

The treating haematologist registers the patient on the platform and files a request for the required tests. The sample is collected at the haematological centre where the patient is being treated.

The sample registered on the Labnet system is sent to the reference laboratory (using a specialised courier).

An automatic notification e-mail informs the lab contact person that a new request has been filed.

The lab accesses the portal, acknowledges the request and analyses the sample it has received.

The lab uploads the results of the analysis onto the system.

The treating haematologists can view the lab report and the records of all analyses performed by accessing the platform. They can then take all the necessary decisions regarding their patient’s treatment.

If the patient is moved to another department or has to change clinical centre, his/her data will be transferred to the new treating haematologists, so that treatment continuity can be maintained.

The clinical centres will decide in each case whether to share the anonymous data of their patients for research projects that may be set up within the LabNet, complying at all times with current Italian and European legislation.

LabNet is a project made possible thanks to the support provided by Novartis and AIL – Associazione italiana contro le leucemie-linfomi e mieloma