Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes\u00c2\u00a0(LOINC) is a\u00c2\u00a0database\u00c2\u00a0and universal standard for identifying\u00c2\u00a0medical laboratory\u00c2\u00a0observations. First developed in 1994, it was created and is maintained by the\u00c2\u00a0Regenstrief 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.<\/p>\n
It is endorsed by the American Clinical Laboratory Association. 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.<\/p>\n
LOINC\u00c2\u00a0applies universal code names and identifiers to\u00c2\u00a0medical terminology\u00c2\u00a0related to\u00c2\u00a0electronic 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.<\/p>\n
Several standards, such as\u00c2\u00a0IHE<\/b>\u00c2\u00a0or\u00c2\u00a0HL7<\/b>, use LOINC to electronically transfer results from different reporting systems to the appropriate healthcare networks. However, the health information enclosed is identified by a multiplicity of code values that may vary according to the entity producing those results. This has obvious disadvantages to the healthcare network that may need to adopt different codes to access and manage information coming from multiple sources. Managed care providers, for example, often have negotiated contracts that reimburse episodes of care and unique coding to trigger automated claim payment. Mapping each entity-specific code to its corresponding universal code can represent a significant investment of both human and financial capital.<\/p>\n
A universal code system will enable facilities and departments across the world to receive and send results from their areas for comparison and consultation and may contribute toward a larger public health initiative of improving clinical outcomes and quality of care.<\/p>\n
LOINC is one of the standards for use in U.S. Federal Government systems for the electronic exchange of clinical health information. In 1999, it was identified by the HL7 Standards Development Organization as a preferred code set for laboratory test names in transactions between health care facilities, laboratories, laboratory testing devices, and public health authorities.<\/p>\n
LOINC terminology has two main parts:<\/p>\n