SOFTWARE STANDARDS AND THE LABORATORY INFORMATION-SYSTEM

Software standards simplify communication and cooperation between appl ications provided by different software vendors. However, adherence to a rigid standard can stifle innovation. Open standards, which are not proprietary to any particular vendor, are particularly useful. Many s tandard-setting organizations have provided useful tools for laborator y informatics, including the American Society for Testing and Material s (ASTM), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards, and the College of Americ an Pathologists. Data communication standards, such as ASTM 1238, HL7, and Digital Image Communication of Medicine, have reduced the cost an d improved the timeliness of interfaces. Nomenclatures, particularly t he Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine (SNOMED), have facilitated th e structuring of medical information, and decision rules can be commun icated with ASTM E1460. Laboratory Observation Identifier Names and Co des has eased the problem of identifying tests during interchange of l aboratory data. Implementation standards are useful references for tho se deploying information systems. Standards have provided multiple ben efits to laboratories and to the health care organizations of which th ey are a component.