Programmatic Theme: Translational Bioinformatics

Abstract: Laboratory tests are a common aspect of clinical care and are the primary source of clinical genomic data. However, most laboratories use PDF documents to store and exchange the results of these tests. This locks the data into a static format and leaves the results only human-readable. The ordering clinician uses the results, but after that the information is unlikely to be used again. Future use would require a clinician to know that the test was performed, know where to find the PDF report, and take the time to open it and determine relevance to that future scenario. New computational standards such as SMART on FHIR and CDS Hooks present opportunities to better utilize these results, both physically upon receipt and asynchronously in future clinical encounters for that patient.
Full app available at https://github.com/mwatkin8/FHIR-Lab-Reports-App.
Demo available at http://hematite.genetics.utah.edu/FHIR-Lab-Reports/.

Learning Objective: To explain the limitations associated with transmitting laboratory test results as PDF reports, to demonstrate how these results could be translated to standardized and computable data elements, and to demonstrate how a CDS application could use those data elements to increase the utility of those laboratory results.

Authors:

Michael Watkins (Presenter)
University of Utah

Karen Eilbeck, University of Utah