Laboratory Result Processing Steps

There are a number of steps in the processing of the laboratory results received by the RLDatix internal integration engine. These steps are each described in full in the following sections:

  • Filtering (see Step 1: Filtering) – this process enables laboratory tests (and the associated results) to be excluded from RL6:Infection so that the view of information available to infection control staff is not cluttered with results not of interest to them. The test type rules also determine how the result is translated. Results that only appear in the Lab inbox are not processed to determine if the result is abnormal or not unless it is a microbiology result.
  • Abnormal? (see Step 2: Determine if Abnormal) – if the result is not excluded, determine whether the result is abnormal. Only abnormal results will go into the Lab Inbox unless certain other conditions are met.
  • Test Type Rules (see Step 3: Apply the Rules Based on the Test Type Alone) – review of the result based on the type of the test to determine whether the result should be just in the Patient Record or also shown in the Lab Inbox.
  • Organism/Isolate Rules (see Step 4: Apply the Rules Based on the Organism or Isolate) – review of the result based on the organisms found in the test result to determine whether the result should be just in the Patient Record or also shown in the Lab Inbox.
  • Specimen Rules (see Steps 5 & 6: Apply Rules Based on Specimen and Growth) – Review of the result based on the specimen used for the test to determine whether the result should be just in the Patient Record or also shown in the Lab Inbox.
  • Note: these may or may not apply to significant organisms.
  • Growth Rules (see Steps 5 & 6: Apply Rules Based on Specimen and Growth) – Review of the result based on the growth found in the test result to determine whether the result should be just in the Patient Record or also shown in the Lab Inbox.
  • Note: These do not apply to significant organisms.
  • Patient class rules – Review of lab results with no significant organisms to see if the rule is controlled by the class of the patient at the time the specimen was collected.
  • Period since admission or last discharge rules – Review of lab results with no significant organisms to see if the rule is controlled by the period since admission or last discharge of the patient and the time the specimen was collected.