
Regenstrief Institute and SNOMED International are enhancing health data interoperability with the LOINC Ontology, bridging LOINC and SNOMED CT data standards. This initiative simplifies the integration of these standards, offering a unified solution for healthcare providers and users. While Regenstrief Institute owns the LOINC Ontology, both organizations retain control over their standards. LOINC users can access this solution for free under their existing license, while SNOMED International members can seamlessly incorporate LOINC. The LOINC Ontology preview is set for release in late 2023, marking a significant stride towards global healthcare data interoperability.
Regenstrief and SNOMED International have expanded their collaborative efforts to enhance health data interoperability, specifically focusing on the integration of LOINC and SNOMED CT data standards.
The collaboration between Regenstrief Institute and SNOMED International has given birth to the LOINC Ontology, a standardized terminology initiative that aims to streamline health data interoperability.
The primary goal of the LOINC Ontology is to provide a unified solution for healthcare providers and users working with different combinations of SNOMED CT and LOINC data standards. In this framework, SNOMED CT serves as the computable foundation, while LOINC offers structured laboratory and pathology content in a format that is comprehensible to regions that may not currently utilize LOINC.
This initiative represents a significant step forward in promoting the adoption of both LOINC and SNOMED standards and fostering seamless interoperability between the two.
While the Regenstrief Institute owns the LOINC Ontology, each organization retains editorial control over its respective standards. Furthermore, healthcare providers using LOINC can access this solution free of charge, thanks to the existing LOINC royalty-free license. SNOMED International members and users will be able to incorporate LOINC seamlessly into their existing SNOMED CT workflows.
Anticipated for release in the final quarter of the 2023 calendar year, the LOINC Ontology preview will undergo review and feedback processes.
Marjorie Rallins, DPM, MS, Executive Director of LOINC and Health Data Standards at Regenstrief, expressed the transformative nature of the LOINC Ontology, highlighting its ability to consolidate clinical observation content into an integrated format. This innovation accelerates interoperability and supports stakeholders in meeting clinical, regulatory, and administrative requirements.
LOINC, short for Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes, is a globally recognized data standard in use across 193 countries and available in 20 languages. Its purpose is to identify health measurements, observations, and documents, facilitating the identification, exchange, and collection of health data. The Regenstrief Institute is responsible for its creation and maintenance, and it is offered to users at no cost.
Don Sweete, CEO of SNOMED International, emphasized the substantial commitment and collaboration between the two organizations in producing the LOINC Ontology preview. He described it as an exemplary illustration of how their combined expertise furthers the goal of global interoperability for healthcare implementers.
SNOMED International, a non-profit organization, is entrusted with setting global standards for health terminology. SNOMED CT, its comprehensive and multilingual healthcare terminology, is designed to capture individual healthcare records in electronic health record (EHR) systems, enabling data sharing, clinical decision support, and analytics.
The collaborative agreement signed by SNOMED International and Regenstrief in 2022 laid the foundation for the extension of SNOMED CT through the integration of LOINC, marking a significant milestone in advancing health data interoperability.