LOINC Support and Results Grouping

The Orders module supports the Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes universal coding for test results (known as LOINC®) . This feature allows you to see test results for the same type of test on the same line even if the tests were performed at two different labs.

By way of example, if one lab says "White Blood Count" in the results message and one returns "WBC" in the results message, the LOINC system has a standard ID for test result components that brings them together on the same line in the Results flow sheet.

Important: When viewing results in the Orders module on the results flowsheet, they are grouped per a user defined preference: Lab Short description,Lab Long description or NextGen description. If results are grouped by NextGen description, the result names can be either the clinical name, the consumer name or the long common name. When the NextGen description is used, then what name gets used to group the results is determined by the following rules:

1) Does the LOINC code have a user-defined clinical name ? If it does, use the clinical name.

2) Else, does the LOINC code have a consumer name ? If it does, use the consumer name.

3) Else, does the LOINC have a long common name ? If it does, use it.

4) If none of these are used, it defaults to the Lab Short description.

Important: Make sure that you have run the compendium updates to get the latest LOINC file that includes the result descriptions.