Electronic Laboratory Reports (ELR)
Electronic laboratory reports (ELRs) are a critical component in infectious disease public health surveillance. Detecting and monitoring the occurrence of disease through reporting of test results for notifiable conditions is a cornerstone of public
health surveillance in Texas. The Texas
Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Public
Health Informatics and Data Exchange (PHID)
Unit maintains and operates the Texas National
Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS). NEDSS interfaces with thousands
of providers, laboratories, and other health
care entities across Texas to
process and ingest ELRs for notifiable conditions in a timely manner. This
data is accessible to local and regional health staff who conduct important epidemiology
and surveillance efforts to prevent and curtail the spread of infectious
diseases. The timeliness, accuracy, and completeness of ELRs are extremely important to ensure rapid public health response.The timeliness, accuracy, and completeness of ELRs are extremely important to ensure rapid public health response.
What are the current methods for transmitting ELRs to DSHS?
HL7 Conformant Messages
The golden standard for
reporting ELRs of most notifiable conditions to public
health requires
submission via Health
Level 7 International Standard (HL7) conformant
message format. For more detailed information
on onboarding and reporting ELRs via HL7 format to DSHS, please visit the Electronic Laboratory Reporting for HL7 Submitters page.
DSHS Approved Comma
Separated Value (CSV) Format (COVID-19
Only)
Due
to the COVID-19 pandemic, DSHS created an alternative submission format for
reporting SARS-CoV-2 lab results for lab
facilities who were unable to produce HL7 conformant messages. DSHS
PHID developed a new route for ingesting ELRs
utilizing a comma separated value file format. Along with this new route, DSHS
PHID developed many training resources and
materials to assist lab submitters in the proper
reporting of SARS-CoV-2 data. Before being approved to submit via CSV format, a lab facility must register with DSHS.
Any
facility that is conducting COVID-19 testing in Texas or of any Texas residents
is required to register with DSHS. Registration information can
be found at https://www.dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/forms/registerlab.aspx. After registering, PHID will work with lab submitters to onboard and approve facilities for CSV submission. Lab submitters who are already registered and onboarded with DSHS can go to https://www.dshs.texas.gov/PHID/CSV-Submitter-Resources.aspx for helpful information on submitting ELRs via CSV.