Understanding Document Ontology Axes

This page contains four main sections:

  1. LOINC Attributes
  2. Document Ontology Axes
  3. Relationship Between LOINC Primary Axes and Document Ontology Axes
  4. Parts, Unspecified, or Null

1. LOINC Attributes

LOINC used for Lab data has six attributes (or parts) to the fully specified name:

<component/analyte>:<kind of property>:<time aspect>:<system type>:<scale>:<method>

  • Component/Analyte - Specifies what is being measured, including the principal analyte name, any provocation challenge, and any standardization or adjustment applied.
  • Kind of Property - Specifies the kind of quantity being measured, distinguishing mass, substance, catalytic activity, arbitrary, or numeric properties and their subtypes such as concentrations, contents, ratios, fractions, or rates.
  • Time Aspect - Specifies when or over what interval the measurement is taken, distinguishing a single point in time from a defined time interval.
  • System Type - Specifies the biological system or specimen tested, including any relevant subpart, combined systems, or supersystems when applicable.
  • Scale - Specifies the measurement scale used, identifying whether the result is quantitative, ordinal, nominal, or narrative.
  • Method - Specifies the testing methodology when needed to differentiate clinically meaningful differences in reference ranges, sensitivity, or specificity.

2. Document Ontology Axes

Document Ontology has five axes:

<Subject Matter Domain> : <Training / Professional Level>: <Setting>: <Type> : Note


  • Subject Matter Domain - The general focus or domain of knowledge represented within the content of the document. Each document type is defined with at least one Subject Matter Domain. Examples include Audiology, Neurology, Cardiac Surgery, Nephrology.
  • Role - The general function, responsibility, or capabilities of the author in relation to a document. Each document type is optionally defined with a Role. Examples include Physician, Nurse, Social worker, Device.
  • Setting - The health care environment or context in which the document was generated. Each document type is optionally defined with a Setting. Examples include Patient's home, Emergency department, Hospital, Outpatient, Nursing facility.
  • Type of Service - The health care service or action provided to the patient as describe in the document. Each document type is defined with one Type of Service. Examples include Referral, Consultation, Discharge summary, Communication, Disability examination, Procedure.
  • Kind of Document - The purpose or structure of the document. Each document type is defined with one Kind of Document. Examples include flowsheet, discharge plan, consent, surgical report.

3. Relationship Between LOINC Attributes and Document Ontology Axes

To understand how the lab axis values (or parts) are assigned to the Document Ontology axes, it is important to understand the relationship between the lab LOINC attributes and the Document Ontology axes:

LOINC Attributes Document Ontology Axes
Component/Analyte Type of Service
Kind of Document
System Type Setting
Method Subject Matter Domain
Role

The lab LOINC attributes Kind of Property, Time Aspect, and Scale are not mapped to the Document Ontology axes.

4. Parts, Unspecified, or Null

Document Ontology axes can contain a part, an unspecified part, or a null or blank value. Each axis has an unspecified part, which is shown in curly brackets and the name of the axis. Even though there is an unspecified part for each axis, only the {Role} and {Setting} unspecified parts are used; the other parts are always specified or 'Null'.

  • LP410933-8 - {Subject Matter Domain} 
  • LP410935-3 - {Type of service}
  • LP187187-2 - {Role}
  • LP173061-5 - {Setting}
  • LP410934-6 - {Kind of document}

The table below shows the possible values for each axis.

Axis / Value Part Unspecified Null Interpretation
Subject Matter Domain Yes No Yes Contains a Part or is Null. When it is Null, the Role will contain a Part or Unspecified.
Role Yes Yes Yes Contains a Part, is Unspecified, or is Null.
Setting Yes Yes No Contain a Part or is Unspecified. It will contain Unspecified when System is Unspecified.
Type of Service Yes No Yes Contains a Part or is Null. When it is Null, the Kind of Document will contain a Part.
Kind of Document Yes No No Contains a Part only.


Subject Matter Domain and Role

The following table shows the possible combination of values for Subject Matter Domain and Role.

Subject Matter Domain
Part Unspecified NULL
Role Part Yes (Example 1) Yes (Example 3)
Unspecified Yes (Example 4)
NULL Yes (Example 2)

LP187187-2 – {Role} is used in the Document Ontology axis when LP187178-1 – {Role} is used in the LOINC attribute for Method.

Example 1: 101891-0 - Rapid response team Discharge summary

  • LOINC Attribute
    • Method: LP201873-9 - Rapid response.team
  • Document Ontology Axes
    • Subject Matter Domain: LP448293-3 - Rapid response
    • Role: LP173073-0 - Team

Example 2: 94515-4 - Anesthesiology Discharge summary

  • LOINC Attribute
    • Method: LP32190-8 - Anesthesiology
  • Document Ontology Axes
    • Subject Matter Domain: LP172918-7 - Anesthesiology
    • Role: NULL

Example 3: 34745-0 - Nurse Discharge summary

  • LOINC Attribute
    • Method: LP32983-6 - Nurse
  • Document Ontology Axes
    • Subject Matter Domain: NULL
    • Role: LP173075-5 - Nurse

Example 4: 101135-2 - Ambulance Discharge summary

  • LOINC Attribute
    • Method: LP187178-1 - {Role}
  • Document Ontology Axes
    • Subject Matter Domain: NULL
    • Role: LP187187-2 - {Role}

Setting

Setting will always contain a part or unspecified. LP173061-5 – {Setting} is only used in the Document Ontology axis when LP32887-9 - {Setting} is used in the LOINC attribute for System Type.

Example 5: 87249-9 - Addiction medicine Outpatient Note

  • LOINC Attribute
    • System Type: LP32889-5 - Outpatient
  • Document Ontology Axis
    • Setting: LP173051-6 - Outpatient

Example 6: 86211-0 - Addiction medicine Physician Note

  • LOINC Attribute
    • System Type: LP32887-9 - {Setting}
  • Document Ontology Axis
    • Setting: LP173061-5 - {Setting}

Type of Service and Kind of Document

The following table shows the possible combination of values for Type of Service and Kind of Document.

Type of Service
Part Unspecified NULL
Kind of Document Part Yes (Example 7) Yes (Example 8)
Unspecified
NULL

Example 7: 85237-6 - Acupuncture Consult note

  • LOINC Attribute
    • Component/Analyte: LP72311-1 - Consultation note
  • Document Ontology Axes
    • Type of Service: LP173110-0 - Consultation
    • Kind of Document: LP173418-7 - Note

Example 8: 52027-0 - Abortion consent Document

  • LOINC Attribute
    • Component/Analyte: LP73895-2 - Abortion consent
  • Document Ontology Axes
    • Type of Service: NULL
    • Kind of Document: LP173395-7 - Abortion consent