Laboratory | Core Data Elements for Case Notification
Laboratory (lab) data capture information from clinical diagnostic tests, including patient details, test type, results, specimen type, and collection or result dates. Lab data are often the first notification a public health agency receives of a potential case of disease or infection and are therefore a key part of the public health surveillance lifecycle. These data are crucial to move case investigations forward, to determine any need for public health actions, and to accurately classify cases according to case definitions in public health surveillance.
Core Surveillance Data Elements in the Death Data Class
Data Element |
Definition |
|---|---|
Data ElementTest Performed |
DefinitionCode for the lab test or analysis that was performed on the specimen. |
Data ElementTest Result |
DefinitionQualitative or quantitative results for test performed. This can include various types of results such as numeric, coded, text, or other types relevant to the specific result. |
Data ElementUnits of Measure |
DefinitionUnits of measure for the test result value, if applicable. |
Data ElementSpecimen Type |
DefinitionThe type of specimen used in testing the resulted lab test |
Data ElementSpecimen Source Site |
DefinitionIndicator of the anatomical source of the specimen tested |
Data ElementSpecimen Collection Date/Time |
DefinitionDate (and time as available) a clinical specimen was collected from the person for the laboratory testing relevant to the disease or condition being reported to a public health agency. |
Data ElementDate/Time of Lab Result |
DefinitionDate (and time as available) the latest result was released for reporting |
For complete definitions, value sets, data structure notes and implementation recommendations, please review the full document drafted by the Data Standardization Working Group (DSWG).