Question

Please detail the breakdown of the LOINC (Logical observation identifiers names and codes) message and also detail the example of LOINC Message type. thx.

Answer 1

Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC)

It is a database and universal standard for identifying medical laboratory observations. First developed in 1994, it was created and is maintained by the Regenstrief Institute, a US nonprofit medical research organization. LOINC was created in response to the demand for an electronic database for clinical care and management and is publicly available at no cost.

Since its inception, the database has expanded to include not just medical laboratory code names but also nursing diagnosis, nursing interventions, outcomes classification, and patient care data sets.

LOINC applies universal code names and identifiers to medical terminology related to electronic health records. The purpose is to assist in the electronic exchange and gathering of clinical results (such as laboratory tests, clinical observations, outcomes management and research). LOINC has two main parts: laboratory LOINC and clinical LOINC. Clinical LOINC contains a subdomain of Document Ontology which captures types of clinical reports and documents.

Content:

LOINC terminology has two main parts:

· Laboratory LOINC: It covers laboratory tests, microbiology tests (including antibiotic susceptibilities)

· Clinical LOINC: It covers a variety of non-lab concepts (ECG concepts, cardiac echo and obstetric ultrasound). Within clinical LOINC, there are also sup-parts for

o Clinical documents: concepts for various types of clinical reports (e.g., discharge summary, well-child visit note)

o Survey instruments: concepts for standardized surveys (e.g., Glasgow Coma Score, PHQ-9 depression scale)

Format:

A formal, distinct, and unique 6-part name is given to each term for test or observation identity.The database currently has over 71,000 observation terms that can be accessed and understood universally. Each database record includes six fields for the unique specification of each identified single test, observation, or measurement:

1. Component- what is measured, evaluated, or observed (example: urea)

2. Kind of property- characteristics of what is measured, such as length, mass, volume, time stamp and so on

3. Time aspect- interval of time over which the observation or measurement was made

4. System- context or specimen type within which the observation was made (example: blood, urine)

5. Type of scale- the scale of measure. The scale may be quantitative, ordinal, nominal or narrative

6. Type of method- procedure used to make the measurement or observation

Example of LOINC Message type:

The structure of a fully specified LOINC term is determined by six distinct axes. Each axis must fit into the LOINC structure and contributes to the meaning of the LOINC term. The axes are separated by a colon.

LOINC code 5792-7, Glucose:MCNC:PT:Urine:QN:Teststrip, is a common laboratory test to quantitatively measure the amount of glucose that is present in the urine. Each axis of the code provides information in an organized, clearly defined way-when these axes are combined, a complete LOINC concept is constructed.

The appearance of a LOINC term can be confusing, but the standardized naming convention supports differentiation between different clinical measurements. Think of a LOINC term as a sentence. A sentence must have a noun and a verb, must start with a capital letter and end with a punctuation mark. This structured format conveys sentence meaning to a reader. Each LOINC term is paired with a unique code that acts as a primary key to identify a unique LOINC concept.