LOINC joins international digital health standards organisation
The Joint Initiative Council for Global Health Informatics Standardization (JIC) welcomes its newest member
The Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) has been accepted as the newest member of the JIC – a council of nine member organisations that work together to improve health informatics data standards development and implementation on a global scale.
The JIC’s overall purpose is to address the needs of the global digital health industry by developing unified standards for health data that ease communication and prevent overlapping and confusion between different health organisations.
On its website, the JIC explains: “Since 2007, the JIC has been committed to transforming the global healthcare system into one that is digital. The goal is precise, targeting the real-time exchange of information based on full interoperability enabled by global standards.”
The JIC’s intention is to enable interoperability of information and processes across health domains, support the timely, efficient delivery of safe, co-ordinated, accountable, high-quality health services to individuals, communities and populations, and facilitate effective global markets for health information systems.
“The Joint Initiative Council's mission aligns closely with LOINC's, which is to build and support global interoperability to improve healthcare for people around the world,” said Swapna Abhyankar, LOINC Interim Director. “We look forward to working together with other leading organisations to create a consistent and comprehensive approach to digital health standards.”
With more and more healthcare facilities resorting to digital solutions, it’s pertinent that the industry has access to a more efficient and streamlined health system at its fingertips. The evolution of telehealth and various other digital health initiatives has spiked since the global pandemic began, and along with this shift to digital comes an increasingly patient-centric healthcare journey accessed through smartphones, tablets and laptops, as well as a range of remote health monitoring devices. Interoperability and communication between these different domains are key concerns for healthcare professionals and providers that are integrating these solutions. An additional member joining the JIC will add a fresh perspective on the subject of digital healthcare informatic standards and, in turn, help inspire responsible innovations in the digital healthcare sphere.