Implementation of laboratory order data in BioSense Early Event Detection and Situation Awareness System.
BACKGROUND
Laboratory test orders constitute an early outbreak data source. CDC receives laboratory order data in HL7 format from the Laboratory Corporation of America (LabCorp) and plans to use the data in the BioSense Early Event Detection and Situation Awareness System.


METHODS
These LabCorp data contain information on tests ordered and include the type of test ordered and the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM)-coded reasons for the order. A consensus panel was formed to group test orders on the basis of expert opinion into eight standard syndrome categories to provide an additional data source for early outbreak detection. A laboratory order taxonomy was developed and used in the mapping consolidation phase. The five main classes of this taxonomy are miscellaneous functional tests, fluid screening tests, system-specific tests, tests for specific infections (by primary manifestation), and tests for specific noninfectious diseases.


RESULTS
Summary of numbers of laboratory order codes in each syndrome category are fever (53), respiratory (53), gastrointestinal (27), neurological (35), rash (37), lymphadenitis (20), localized cutaneous lesion (11), and specific infection (63).


CONCLUSIONS
With the daily use of laboratory order data in BioSense, the actual distribution of laboratory order codes in syndrome groups can be evaluated, allowing modification of the mapping.
Ma
Haobo
H
CDC, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA. HMa@cdc.gov
Rolka
H
H
Mandl
K
K
Buckeridge
D
D
Fleischauer
A
A
Pavlin
J
J
D002984:Clinical Laboratory Information Systems; D004189:Disaster Planning; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005568:Forms and Records Control; D006801:Humans; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D040442:Public Health Informatics / Q000295:instrumentation; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology