Local Health Regions will want to name their documents differently

Decision Status: New

Background

Local Health Regions will want to name their documents differently, e.g., regional display names.

For example, BC chose short version of LOINC display names

Options

  1. Define the allowable short-forms of axis display names and allow regions to pick and choose
  2. Only allow LOINC long and short display names
  3. Provide a list of allowable display names (designated synonyms)

Discussion

  • Expect that a region will display the document name suitable for that region, we're going to have trouble stopping that.
  • The source system display name will be in the metadata for a receiving user to look at if necessary.
  • Too many display names to track if we try to do that nationally.
  • Will not restrict what people use for display names; we mostly need a common identifier.
  • Sometimes it is better for the sending system to convert names to a regional name.
  • Canadian LOINC could recommend some structure to the provinces for governing the display names.
  • How about a set of three possible regional display names for systems to send the documents with. This is a way to give choice and keep to a standard.
  • Sending systems can have their own system name internal to them.
  • The sending system should send a Pan Canadian EN/FR name with each document as a back up.
  • We can use SNOMED as an example: they have designated synonyms; we can have a few display name options for health systems to choose from.
  • We need to help frontline clinical staff have consistent names. This is done by the Canadian Ontology constraining what display names are used outside enterprises.
  • One way to constrain display names is to specify what they are or to limit construction of the names to a name standard and certain allowable abbreviations.
    • Concern: that each enterprise chooses to shorten names differently. Although typically 1) Remove ‘note’, 2) Remove any redundant words, 3) Shorten words as much as possible, 4) Use abbreviations.
    • There was confusion on the difference in content and the necessity of Long Common Name, Display Name. There was confusion about what is a regional, local and provincial name. There was no clear path to balance both controlling and giving choice to enterprises in their display names. One action: provide some suggested allowable abbreviations.

Decision


Guideline