The Role of Government Policies in Interoperability Standards for Laboratory Information Systems: A Bibliometric Analysis Literature Review

Abstract

There are several benefits of interoperability in Laboratory Information Systems (LIS) in public health. They include enhanced data management, continuous data exchange, enhanced disease tracking, and better decision-making.   Although Policies like the Kenya Health Act, the Data Protection Act, and the Kenya Health Information Systems Interoperability Framework have been developed by the Kenyan government to support LIS integration, there are areas such as inadequate execution procedures, disjointed health information systems, inadequate funding, and privacy concerns that still hinder advancement in execution. The study's approach focuses on the role government policies play in guiding LIS interoperability standards. More so, it assesses international top practices and points out the policy gaps that exist in Kenya and emphasizes any evolving challenges. This research includes a bibliometric analysis and literature review of the government policies that influence LIS interoperability between 2016 and 2024. Based on 82 peer-reviewed articles indexed in Scopus, Google Scholar, and PubMed, we examine publication trends, influential authors and institutions, citation networks, and regional scope. The analysis is informed by Data Management Theory (DMT), which calls for governance models to shape organizations. According to the findings, relevant policies exist; however, implementation and funding remain inadequate. The findings suggest increased scholarly interest in LIS interoperability, as well as a gradual shift from technical-oriented literature to policy-related debates. Nevertheless, Africa is underrepresented in high-impact papers, albeit with considerable innovations on a field level. The results further indicate inadequate empirical assessments of policy impact, weak public-private partnerships, and a lack of long-term policy evaluations. Further research ought to focus on fruitful case studies of LIS integration, customizing international standards to the Kenyan setting, and investigating the use of emerging technologies, for example, AI and blockchain, to boost interoperability standards in public health healthcare laboratory systems.