Electronic Reporting of Laboratory Data for Public Health: Meeting Report and Recommendations

On March 24-25, 1997, a meeting was held to provide a forum for discussing barriers to implementing effective laboratory reporting standards and to seek creative, practical approaches to moving forward. The meeting was co-sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), and the Association of State and Territorial Public Health Laboratory Directors (ASTPHLD).

Three main perspectives were represented among meeting participants: the views of federal public health agencies, the views of state epidemiologists and public health laboratorians, and the views of the private sector (both laboratories and laboratory software vendors).

This report summarizes discussions during the meeting and presents preliminary recommendations in three main areas:

Flow—where, when, and how data should move to and from users.
Format—the mechanics of data transfer, including the use of Health Level Seven (HL7) messages and/or other reporting formats, and ways to ensure security.
Content—the determination of which data elements should be included in an
electronic reporting system for clinical laboratories.