Interoperability with web services; Environmental Health Labs leverage existing technology to collect sample data

This talk will provide a demonstration of Services-Oriented Architecture (SOA) and web services and discuss lessons learned regarding the practical application of web services in support of PHIN initiatives to integrate laboratory information systems within the CDC enterprise with collaboration partners in the state and local public health laboratories (PHLs). 

NCEH (National Center for Environmental Health) is working together with NCPHI (National Center for Public Health Informatics) to realize the benefits of SOA and web services. 

The web services provide a central system for tracking specimens and reporting results between CDC and collaborating PHLs for typical operations and for preparedness and includes applying standard specimen identification numbering systems and standard vocabularies to describe shipments, specimen and results.

In addition to standard numbering and vocabularies, the solution electronically links user-defined specimen identification numbers across the CDC enterprise with user-defined specimen identification numbers from PHL partners so that information retrieval is unambiguous.  Exchange of meaningful linked data is accomplished using user-registered value sets as well as by LOINC, SNOMED and HL7.

In order to reach PHL partners outside the CDC, NCPHI provides LUNA (Laboratory Unified Network Application).  LUNA is a web user interface that will enable PHLs that have no messaging-capable laboratory information management systems to electronically send laboratory requests, shipment and specimen data, and to immediately receive results electronically from the CDC.

LUNA, like LSTARS, is a client of the NCPHI web services.  While LUNA is available to laboratories outside the CDC, LSTARS is available to NCEH internal laboratories.  Both systems use single object access protocol (SOAP) communications which are  patterned after HL7 2.x messages to support and ease the path to using HL7 messaging until such external PHLs are ready to transition and communicate using HL7 messaging with their LIMS.