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TRUU-Lab has yet to determine how many test names it will try to standardize because the process is labor intensive and time-consuming, Dr. Singh notes. It’s possible the group may finalize test-naming guidelines, apply them to commonly confused or misunderstood tests, and then offer the guidelines as a framework that hospitals or other health care institutions can use to resolve specific test-naming issues they encounter.

Test names are only one component of the test-ordering process that needs to be standardized, Dr. Singh says. Even if two institutions use the same lab test name and EMR vendor, they may have set up their tests with different units or reference ranges, she explains. Therefore, TRUU-Lab is cooperating with other groups working on related lab test-ordering standardization efforts where possible. For example, representatives of the FDA’s SHIELD (Systemic Harmonization and Interoperability Enhancement for Laboratory Data) project have joined TRUU-Lab and share feedback about that collaborative’s standardization efforts.

Yet Dr. Singh emphasizes that “the names themselves are going to keep us busy. I wanted to make it all about comprehension, correct use, and eliminating confusion.”

In the end, she concludes, “there are many different standardization endeavors that are targeting different things. And it really would be great if we could combine all of our findings into one thing that can be used by all.”—Renee Caruthers

ONC releases framework for health information exchange

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has launched the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement.

TEFCA is a set of nonbinding principles that support data exchange across health information networks nationwide. The ONC’s goals for the framework are to establish a universal policy and technical baseline for nationwide interoperability, make it easier for organizations to share information securely, and allow all Americans to compile their health care information.

The ONC’s recognized coordinating entity, the Sequoia Project, will sign a legal contract, called the Common Agreement, with each qualified health information network. The networks, in turn, will execute corresponding connectivity policies within their institutions.

The ONC is also working with the Sequoia Project to create a Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resource roadmap that outlines how FHIR eventually will be incorporated into TEFCA.

Educational resources and information on how to participate in TEFCA are available at https://rce.sequoiaproject.org.

Indica Labs receives CE-IVD certification for AP system

Indica Labs announced that it has received a CE mark for its Halo AP anatomic pathology software, allowing the product to be used for primary diagnosis in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

“With APIs [application programming interfaces] to support connections to LIS/LIMS or other third-party systems, as well as flexible on-premise and cloud-deployment options, Halo AP can integrate seamlessly within any organization’s existing IT infrastructure,” according to an Indica Labs press release. “For laboratories without an existing LIS/LIMS, Halo AP can act as a fully functional, standalone case- and image-management system.”

In addition to primary diagnoses, the platform supports secondary consults, tumor boards, clinical trials, synoptic reporting, quantitative analytics, and artificial intelligence.

Halo AP has been commercially available in the United States since 2019.

Indica Labs, 505-492-0979

New partnership addresses AI standardization and education

Duke Health and the Mayo Clinic, among others, have established the Health AI Partnership, an endeavor to standardize industry best practices for deploying artificial intelligence software and to develop an open-source AI curriculum.

The group plans to undertake a 12-month project in which it will engage various delivery systems and other stakeholders to analyze the medical industry’s use of artificial intelligence. It will build on the AI advances made by the participating delivery systems relative to laboratory diagnostics, therapeutics, and medical devices. The project will seek and incorporate feedback from technology users, regulators, policy experts, and payers.

“Key insights and best practices will then be aggregated to develop an online professional education curriculum that will empower delivery systems to bolster medical AI procurement, integration, and lifecycle management activities,” according to a blog post from the Duke Institute for Health Innovation. The guidance and curriculum will be made available as open-source offerings.

Among the other members of the partnership are the University of California, Berkeley, the law firm DLA Piper, and a community representative. The program is funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

Dr. Aller practices clinical informatics in Southern California. He can be reached at raller@usc.edu. Dennis Winsten is founder of Dennis Winsten w& Associates, Healthcare Systems Consultants. He can be reached at dwinsten.az@gmail.com.