CAP TODAY Pathology/Laboratory Medicine/Laboratory Management
Adoption of LIVD is in the early stages and laboratories may be unaware that they can request through their sales representatives the set of LOINC codes associated with the test menu of a particular IVD manufacturer. The codes are provided as an Excel spreadsheet containing the analyte transmission code, specimen description, result description, and LOINC code. Currently the IVD tests are mapped only to LOINC codes.
In a related initiative, known as Systemic Harmonization and Interoperability Enhancement for Lab Data, or SHIELD, the FDA seeks to promote the application of semantic standards in structured data through such efforts as the publication of the Microbiology LOINC Mapping Manual that provides step-by-step instructions on how to map LOINC codes for microbiology tests. The LIVD format developed by the connectivity consortium addresses the IVD test to LOINC mapping, and the consortium is working to establish a similar format for IVD value set mappings.
Dr. Luu is an associate professor of pathology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, a member of the CAP Informatics and CAP Standards committees, and the CAP’s liaison to the LOINC effort. Dr. Heierman is a product software architect for Abbott and chief technology officer for the IVD Industry Connectivity Consortium. See the March issue of CAP TODAY for more information.