LOINC 2.78 includes 3,000 terminology updates and adds SDOH focus
The latest update to the Regenstrief Institute’s Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) database contains nearly 1,600 new concepts and 1,400 changes aimed at improving the exchange and interoperability of health data across global systems.
The LOINC tool is used to standardize health information in 196 countries. The update covers a range of healthcare focus areas, including diagnostics, medical devices, population health reporting, social determinants of health, and various assessments.
250 new concepts
One of the main focuses of the update is the approximately 250 new concepts introduced to improve the presentation of electronic health data. The aim is to facilitate data translation between systems with different structures.
One of the new concepts being developed is a Food and Drug Administration-approved diagnostic system that uses artificial intelligence to detect cervical cancer.
The update also refines the post-acute care assessments required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Other key collaborations include work with the Diabetes Technology Society to standardize data for continuous glucose monitoring devices and with the National Committee for Quality Assurance on assessments for the treatment of high-impact chronic pain.
Pathology data in Australasia
Additional updates focus on concepts for pathology information in Australasia, a subregion of Oceania consisting of Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean, and support for the new National Laboratory Information System of the Netherlands.
The update also added content to the International Patient Overview to alert clinicians to critical health conditions, and included new SDOH content through the Gravity Project, which addresses social risk factors such as job insecurity and housing insecurity.
“Collaboration and requests are driving how LOINC expands and evolves,” explains Marjorie Rallins, LOINC’s Executive Director of Health Data Standards. “We are continually working with SNOMED International to develop the LOINC Ontology, a LOINC and SNOMED CT interoperability solution.”
The LOINC Ontology supports users implementing different combinations of SNOMED CT and LOINC in health information systems, ensuring they can meet clinical and regulatory requirements across countries with one solution.
SNOMED CT coupled to LOINC
SNOMED CT provides the computable framework in a complementary manner and LOINC provides laboratory, pathology and clinical observation content in a familiar format.
Rallins explained that the 2.78 release of LOINC contains improvements to LOINC to support the LOINC ontology.
“Given the international use of LOINC, we were pleased to collaborate with the developers of the International Patient Summary, a global standard for electronically sharing and documenting a patient’s essential medical information,” she added.
The IPS is a snapshot of a patient’s record that can be used by healthcare providers anywhere in the world, regardless of specialty or condition. New content to support the alert section is designed to alert clinicians to extreme health conditions affecting the patient.
Improving interoperability
“If we had unlimited resources, LOINC would be released more frequently,” Rallins said. “Regular updates give users access to the latest developments and they improve interoperability.”
She explained that working with international stakeholders presents some logistical challenges due to different time zones and languages.
“However, international cooperation between stakeholders is mainly seen as a strength, not a challenge,” she said.
She emphasized that collaboration with international companies, clinicians, scientists and engineers provides new sources of knowledge and experience that significantly improve the content of LOINC.
“There are differences between healthcare in the US and other countries, but 99% of the aspects are common. Working internationally broadens the pool of contributors and increases the knowledge available for creating new codes,” Rallins said.
Nathan Eddy is a healthcare and technology freelancer based in Berlin.
Send an email to the writer: nathaneddy@gmail.com
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