Frequency of laboratory test utilization in the intensive care unit and its implications for large-scale data collection efforts
Authors
Frassica, Joseph J.Document Type
Journal ArticlePublication Date
2005-03-25Keywords
APACHEData Collection
Hospitals, University
Humans
*Intensive Care Units
Laboratory Techniques and Procedures
Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes
Severity of Illness Index
Anesthesiology
Life Sciences
Medicine and Health Sciences
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
OBJECTIVE: Mapping local use names to standardized nomenclatures such as LOINC (Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes) is a time-consuming task when done retrospectively or during the configuration of new information systems. The author sought to identify a subset of intensive care unit (ICU) laboratory tests, which, because of their frequency of use, should be the focus of efforts to standardize test names in ICU information systems. DESIGN: The author reviewed the ordering practices in medical, surgical, and pediatric ICUs within a large university teaching hospital to identify the subset of laboratory tests that represented the majority of tests performed in these settings. The author compared the results of his findings with the laboratory tests required to complete several of the most frequently used ICU acuity scoring systems. RESULTS: It was found that between 104 and 202 tests and profiles represented 99% of all testing in the three ICUs. All the laboratory studies needed for six commonly used ICU scoring systems fell into the top 21 laboratory studies and profiles performed in each ICU. CONCLUSION: The author identified a small subset of the LOINC database that should be the focus of efforts to standardize test names in ICU information systems. Mapping this subset of laboratory tests and profiles to LOINC vocabulary will simplify the process of collecting data for large-scale databases such as ICU scoring systems and the configuration of new ICU information systems.Source
J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2005 Mar-Apr;12(2):229-33. Epub 2004 Nov 23. Link to article on publisher's siteDOI
10.1197/jamia.M1604Permanent Link to this Item
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14038/42280PubMed ID
15561793Related Resources
Link to Article in PubMedae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1197/jamia.M1604