Introducing Catalyst
Catalyst is an LLM-powered data assistant built into OpenELIS Global that lets lab managers, case managers, and QA officers generate custom reports, dashboards, and data extracts using natural language prompts. No SQL knowledge required. No waiting for IT. Just ask for what you need.
🔬 Currently in Research & Development — Catalyst is being developed in phases, with initial features planned for release in 2026. Core data assistant capabilities will arrive first, followed by context-aware help and the visual form builder in subsequent releases.
Privacy-First Architecture
The AI only sees your database schema—never patient data. All data processing happens locally on your server. Queries are generated by the LLM, but results are fetched and displayed entirely within OpenELIS.
Three Powerful Capabilities
Catalyst brings AI assistance to reporting, help, and form design
Data Assistant
Generate custom reports and dashboard widgets using natural language. Ask for “monthly HIV viral load summary by facility” and get exactly that—no SQL required.
Wizard Mode
Scheduling
Context-Aware Help
Get instant answers based on your current screen. Natural language questions, embedded video tutorials, guided walkthroughs, and proactive assistance when errors occur.
Video Tutorials
Guided Tours
Visual Form Builder
Design custom order entry screens with drag-and-drop. No more editing JSON files. Just describe what you need and let Catalyst help you build it.
FHIR Compliant
AI Assist
Reports & Dashboards in Plain English
Stop waiting for IT to build custom reports. With Catalyst, just describe what you need:
“Show me all pending HIV viral load tests older than 14 days, grouped by facility”
“Create a monthly turnaround time report for TB testing with trend charts”
“What’s our sample rejection rate this quarter vs last quarter?”
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Chat Mode—conversational interface for quick queries -
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Wizard Mode—step-by-step builder for complex reports -
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My Reports—save, schedule, and share your creations -
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My Dashboard—drag-and-drop widgets for at-a-glance insights
Dashboard Widget Types
Bar Charts
Line Charts
Pie Charts
Data Tables
KPI Cards
Export Formats
CSV, Excel, PDF, JSON, HL7/FHIR, and custom delimited formats. PDF reports include customizable headers and logos.
Automated Scheduling
Daily, weekly, monthly, or custom cron schedules. Configurable quiet hours. Delta/incremental exports for efficiency.
Sharing & Collaboration
Share reports with users, lab units, or organization-wide. Point-in-time snapshots for historical reference.
Help That Knows Where You Are
Press F1 or click the help icon from any screen. Catalyst Help understands your context—your current page, user role, and even form errors—to provide relevant assistance immediately.
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Natural language questions—ask anything about OpenELIS -
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Video tutorials—inline playback, works offline -
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Guided tours—interactive walkthroughs for complex tasks -
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Proactive assistance—icon glows when errors detected -
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Admin-customizable—add your own articles and videos
Design Order Entry Screens Visually
No more editing FHIR Questionnaire JSON by hand. Drag, drop, and describe what you need. Catalyst generates compliant forms that work seamlessly with OpenELIS workflows.
Component Library
Pre-built blocks for Patient, Sample, Test, Provider, and more
Form Canvas
Drag-and-drop interface with live preview across devices
Properties Inspector
Configure fields, validation, and conditional logic
Pre-Built Workflow Blocks
👨⚕️ Provider Block
🧪 Sample Block
🔬 Test Selection
📋 Panel Selection
🏥 Referral Block
📊 Program Block
💳 Billing Block
🏷️ Barcode Block
Flexible LLM Deployment
Choose the configuration that fits your infrastructure and privacy requirements
Local Server
Run an open-source LLM on your own hardware. Complete data sovereignty.
Central MoH Server
Shared LLM hosted by Ministry of Health. Cost-effective for multi-site deployments.
Cloud API
Connect to commercial LLM APIs. Fastest setup, requires internet.
Fallback Mode: When LLM is unavailable, a traditional query builder UI ensures uninterrupted access to reports.
Built for Lab Professionals
Catalyst empowers the people who know your lab best
Lab Managers
Operational reporting, workload analysis, performance metrics, staff productivity insights.
Case Managers
Program-specific follow-up reports for HIV, TB, and other disease programs.
QA Officers
Quality indicators, turnaround times, rejection rates, compliance monitoring.
OpenELIS Global is developed by DIGI at the University of Washington with support from CDC, PEPFAR, and implementing partners worldwide.