News
September 8, 2021

LOINC® issues new terms for healthcare data interoperability; begins new release schedule

LOINC August 2021 release

LOINC® from Regenstrief Institute released its semiannual content update with 400 new terms to help health systems, laboratories and other health organizations exchange data. This release prioritized terms related to SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 testing, clinical care, documentation and reporting.

This release is the first on LOINC’s new release schedule, with updates now being published in August and February. Beginning in February 2022, LOINC will be streamlining the release structure to make it easier for users to access all of the necessary files.

LOINC, which stands for Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes, is a universal system to identify laboratory and health observations, facilitating healthcare interoperability. It is used in nearly every country in the world.

About LOINC®

LOINC was created in 1994 at Regenstrief Institute in an effort to facilitate interoperability in healthcare. Today, the LOINC coding system contains more than 96,200 terms for everything from a serum alpha 1 antitrypsin level to a zygomatic arch x-ray report. For each concept, LOINC covers many other rich details, such as synonyms, units of measure and carefully crafted descriptions.

About Regenstrief Institute

Founded in 1969 in Indianapolis, the Regenstrief Institute is a local, national and global leader dedicated to a world where better information empowers people to end disease and realize true health. A key research partner to Indiana University, Regenstrief and its research scientists are responsible for a growing number of major healthcare innovations and studies. Examples range from the development of global health information technology standards that enable the use and interoperability of electronic health records to improving patient-physician communications, to creating models of care that inform practice and improve the lives of patients around the globe.

Sam Regenstrief, a nationally successful entrepreneur from Connersville, Indiana, founded the institute with the goal of making healthcare more efficient and accessible for everyone. His vision continues to guide the institute’s research mission

Related News

Shaun Grannis, M.D., M.S.

Effectiveness of Monovalent and Bivalent mRNA Vaccines in Preventing COVID-19-Associated Emergency Department and Urgent Care Encounters Among Children Aged 6 Months-5 Years – VISION Network, United States, July 2022-June 2023

Published in the journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Here is a link to the article. Regenstrief Institute authors:

A collage graphic with images from LOINC, courtes of the National Library of Medicine, 2024

NLM extends commitment to LOINC with $5 million award

The five-year contract lasts through 2029, marking 30 years of support The National Library of Medicine (NLM) has awarded

Kathleen Unroe, M.D.

Palliative care is underutilized in nursing homes

Study examines the challenge and proposes avenue for improvement  Palliative care, specialized medical care focusing on providing relief from

Malaz Boustani, MD, MPH, and Babar Khan, MD, MS

Trauma Medical Home: New coordinated care model for injured older adults

INDIANAPOLIS – Older adults who suffer serious injuries from a fall or a motor vehicle accident often have impaired