Web services to support tracking your CDC shipments and getting results

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 (LIMS) to send laboratory requests, track shipment and specimen data, and immediately receive results electronically from the CDC.

LUNA also uses value sets supported by LOINC, SNOMED and HL7, communicates with XML messaging in a structure that includes data objects and attributes patterned after HL7 2.x messages.  LUNA supports and eases the path to using HL7 messaging until such PHLs are ready to transition and communicate directly with HL7 messaging with their LIMS.

This SOA application supports PHIN initiatives to integrate laboratory information systems within the CDC enterprise as well as collaboration partners in the state and local public health laboratories (PHLs) to rapidly associate data generated from multiple sources for a specimen, track specimen shipments, and exchange specimen and results information.  NCPHI provides this solution built on PHIN standards-based specifications for IT infrastructures and information sharing.  It leverages an open source compatible framework and the internet to provide secure easy access for all parties.

Development of reusable services that provide a central system for tracking specimens and reporting results between CDC and collaborating  PHLs for typical operations and for preparedness is not sufficient to solve the current problems without applying standard specimen identification numbering systems and standard vocabularies to describe specimen and results.

The SOA solution electronically links specimen identification numbers across the CDC enterprise with specimen identification numbers from state and local PHL partners so that information retrieval is unambiguous.  Exchange of meaningful linked data is accomplished using values sets supported by LOINC, SNOMED and HL7, via XML messaging in a structure that includes data objects and attributes patterned after HL7 2.x messages.