Challenges of ELR Implementation: Moving Toward Semantic Understanding through Vocabulary Validation

Authors

  • Daniel B. Golson Communicable and Environmental Diseases and Emergency Preparedness, Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, TN, United States
  • Natalie Raketich Communicable and Environmental Diseases and Emergency Preparedness, Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, TN, United States
  • Erin Holt Communicable and Environmental Diseases and Emergency Preparedness, Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, TN, United States

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5210/ojphi.v6i1.5055

Abstract

Electronic Laboratory Reporting (ELR) following prescribed standards offers both opportunity and unique challenges for public health. One challenge is effectively identifying and documenting tests, results, and constraints upon them public health desires from ELR submitters.  Successful implementation of ELR requires semantic understanding of vocabulary used. In order to achieve semantic understanding of the actionable content of ELR messages, a systematic means of documenting and validating vocabulary is needed. Development of an on-boarding process which places vocabulary validation at the beginning of the process is critical in order to hasten on-boarding and realize the benefits of ELR to public health practice.

Author Biography

Daniel B. Golson, Communicable and Environmental Diseases and Emergency Preparedness, Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, TN, United States

Daniel Golson is an epidemiologist in the Surveillance Systems and Informatics Program at the Tennessee Department of Health. In his current role, Mr. Golson assists with oversight of the state's integrated disease surveillance system, the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System Base System (NBS), and focuses primarily on electronic laboratory reporting and case notification to CDC. He helped develop an on-boarding process for ELR trading partners in Tennessee, including those testing for Meaningful Use (MU).

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Published

2014-03-09

How to Cite

Golson, D. B., Raketich, N., & Holt, E. (2014). Challenges of ELR Implementation: Moving Toward Semantic Understanding through Vocabulary Validation. Online Journal of Public Health Informatics, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.5210/ojphi.v6i1.5055

Issue

Section

Poster Presentations