Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Electronic Lab Reporting "Task Force" workgroup

The CDC and CSTE (Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists) has come together to create a "task force" that will work on kicking off the first necessary step to start defining a standardized set of reportable lab results. The official name is the CDC CSTE ELR Task Force Standards workgroup.
As the first step, the plan is to create a mapping between reportable conditions and its associated LOINC lab tests and SNOMED lab results. This product is to be called the RCMT (Reportable Condition Mapping Table). Several conditions are on the list to be discussed and mapped.

I'm really glad that CDC and CSTE has taken this first bold move in the right direction. I was reminded by someone today that Epidemiologists aren't all necessarily LOINC experts, and therefore, LIS vendors, EHR vendors, Hospital representatives (clinicians and infection control experts) and public health departments are encouraged to participate in this endeavor.

Now, if we could take this to the next level by using a standards process for this, and involving the right people as well as then formalizing how this information would be represented, I would be very happy.

Please note that from the RCMT website, anyone is able to join into these calls and participate. Please do so, especially if you fall in one of the categories mentioned above.

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