Electronic Pathology Results

Are you gaining the maximum value from your electronic investigation result downloads? Do you want your investigation result downloads to populate your clinical records? If so, then it is time to review and possibly change the format that your results are provided in.

There are two technical formats primarily used for results: PIT (Pathology Information Transfer); and HL7 (Health Level Seven). By default investigation service providers will provide your electronic investigation results in PIT format. Practices wishing to receive their results in HL7 format need to contact their various pathology providers to request this change.

The benefit of HL7 investigation result downloads includes:

  • Graphic displays of pathology data e.g. LDL levels over the last 12 months;
  • Auto-population of diabetes assessment with pathology readings rather than having to re-key data;
  • Potential to have alerting based on values, e.g. those patients with a HBA1C >7.0mmol; and
  • Ability to conduct database searches based on data values incorporated in the health record through HL7 downloads


To view HL7 atomic data, go to the pathology-results tag, then click the cumulative results button, which will list all the pathology entities e.g. HDL, Uric acid, Trigs, then click the graph button. One can then graph any of these values. Great to show patients during the consultation to motivate for change.

There are also HL7 standards for referrals, discharge summaries and prescriptions. Implementation of these standards will mean being able to send scripts to the pharmacy electronically and receiving discharge patient summaries from the hospital electronically, which will mean less paper to print, less re-keying of patient information, and the ability to better manage patients.

PATHOLOGY PROVIDERS

RESOURCES