Public Service Message

Better Information Means Better Care: Health Information Technology

Electronic Lab Reporting for Meaningful Use

Electronic Lab Reporting for New York State Providers

Reporting electronic laboratory results is a public health option for Meaningful Use. The Electronic Clinical Laboratory Reporting System (ECLRS) provides laboratories that serve New York State with a system for secure and rapid transmission of reportable condition information to the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), county health departments and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYCDOHMH)

Providers must perform at least one test of data submission and follow up submission to qualify for this option.

Electronic Lab Reporting - Meaningful Use Requirements

Objective:

  • Eligible Hospitals and CAHs - Capability to submit electronic data on reportable (as required by State or local law) lab results to public health agencies and actual submission according to applicable law and practice.

Measure: Performed at least one test of certified EHR technology's capacity to provide electronic submission of reportable lab results to public health agencies and follow-up submission if the test is successful.

  • Final Rule Certification Language: Reportable lab results. Electronically record, modify, retrieve, and submit reportable clinical lab results in accordance with the standard (and applicable implementation specifications) specified in §170.205(c) and, at a minimum, the version of the standard specified in §170.207(c).
  • Vocabulary:
    • Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) version 2.27.
  • Content Exchange Standards and Implementation Specifications
    • Transmission and Implementation Specifications: HL7 2.5.1, and HL7 Version 2.5.1 Implementation Guide - Electronic Laboratory Reporting to Public Health, Release 1.
    • Content: None specified. CMS Final Rules state: "We consider it impractical to develop an exhaustive list of such tests. Moreover, we believe further description of these tests is unnecessary. It should be self-evident to providers when a test returns a positive or negative result or a result expressed in numeric characters. In these cases, the results should be incorporated into a patient's EHR as structured data." (75 FR Page 44360)
    • In New York State content of test messages must be consistent with New York Public Health Law and Codes, Rules and Regulations that require physicians, health care facilities, and licensed clinical laboratories to report all pertinent facts to public health authorities whenever an examination on a New York resident is performed to determine blood lead level or reveals evidence of a reportable communicable disease, HIV/AIDS, cancer, or congenital malformations (http://www.health.ny.gov/professionals/reportable_diseases/eclrs/).
    • Example: New York State Department of Health Communicable Disease Reporting Requirements document.
  • Exclusions:
    • Eligible Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) qualify for exclusion if no public health agency to which the eligible hospital or CAH submits such information has the capacity to receive the information electronically
      • New York State does have the capability to receive electronically, so the exclusion does not apply to New York State Eligible Hospitals

Electronic Lab Reporting- Meaningful Use Testing Process

  1. Eligible hospitals must have their information system software certified by an ONC-Authorized Testing and Certification Body. Certified systems can include, but are not limited to complete electronic health records, laboratory information systems, health information exchange or any other system certified by designated body that is certified as a complete, module or a component of a certified system.
  2. Eligible hospitals will contact NYSDOH via email at eclrs@health.state.ny.us or by phone at 1-866-325-7743 to set up a time to test.
  3. Eligible Hospitals will then submit the following basic information and a test message to NYSDOH (directly with ECLRS or through the Universal Public Health Node):
  4. EH Information: Name, Address, Organizational NPI (NPI of the testing business unit), and EH Phone Number
  5. NOTE: See the following link for eligibility info.: http://www.cms.gov/EHRIncentivePrograms/Downloads/EHR_EP_Decision_Tool.zip
  6. Submitter Name and Email
  7. EHR Software Package and Version
  8. EHR technologies that meet the certification requirements for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs are listed on the ONC Web site specifically for laboratory results reporting to public health agencies (NOTE: meaningful use certification does NOT imply that the product meets all meaningful use requirements). If the software is not listed, it may not qualify for meaningful use.
  9. Test message: In the following link, you will find the ECRLS page regarding lab reporting requirements. http://www.health.ny.gov/professionals/reportable_diseases/eclrs/
  10. NYSDOH will then form a report, including the above information, date and time of submission, and pass/fail information. NYSDOH will validate that the test message meets all of the specifications and passed, based on the existing criteria. NYSDOH will also maintain an audit trail with testing information.

Contact

  • Electronic Clinical Laboratory Reporting System (ECLRS) Help Desk
    Email: eclrs@health.state.ny.us
    Phone: 1-866-325-7743

Other Public Health Stage 1 Meaningful Use Criteria