Open Registration for CHITREC Laboratory LOINC Workshop on May 26th

Introduction
In order for a provider’s Electronic Medical Record system to meet the certification criteria for Meaningful Use, the EMR must demonstrate the ability to transmit electronically various data to public health, including reportable laboratory results and vaccine administration data. The messaging standards included in the Meaningful Use rule are based on the Health Level 7 message format and the LOINC vocabulary for laboratory tests performed. LOINC is a vocabulary of test names that contains very specific and detailed information about each test. The process of establishing data transmission capacity that meets the requirements of public health involves the mapping of locally-established laboratory test codes to the corresponding code in the LOINC vocabulary. In general, this mapping of local codes to LOINC will need to be carried out and maintained by each trading partner sending data to public health. To support Chicago area hospitals in this mapping work, the Chicago Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (CHITREC) is partnering with the Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council, with support from the Chicago Department of Public Health, to hold a LOINC mapping workshop on May 26th.
 
Workshop Leaders
The workshop will be lead by international LOINC experts Clement McDonald M.D., Director, Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications, and Daniel Vreeman, PT, DPT, MSc - Assistant Research Professor, Indiana University School of Medicine, Associate Director of Terminology Services and Research Scientist, Regenstrief Institute, Inc.  The Laboratory LOINC Workshop will be held on Thursday, May 26 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital's Prentice Women’s Hospital.
 
Why LOINC?
LOINC (Logical Observation Identifier Names and Codes) is a no-cost database of names and codes that identify laboratory, clinical, and HIPAA attachment variables.  As the practice, regulation, and reimbursement of medicine become more complicated, we need a standard way to identify tests, and other clinical measurements-a common language for building electronic medical records, managing the clinical enterprise, doing research and work together-so we can speak the same language especially in terms of analyzing biological samples and interpreting test results. LOINC codes provide that language.
 
Workshop and Meeting Purpose
1. To educate users about the use and utility of LOINC codes
2. To develop local expertise to maintain up to date mappings to LOINC codes
 
Registration (registration closed May 16th)