Challenges of ELR Implementation: Moving Toward Semantic Understanding through Vocabulary Validation

Electronic Laboratory Reporting (ELR) following prescribed standards offers both opportunity and unique challenges for public health. One challenge is effectively identifying and documenting tests, results, and constraints upon them public health desires from ELR submitters.  Successful implementation of ELR requires semantic understanding of vocabulary used. In order to achieve semantic understanding of the actionable content of ELR messages, a systematic means of documenting and validating vocabulary is needed. Development of an on-boarding process which places vocabulary validation at the beginning of the process is critical in order to hasten on-boarding and realize the benefits of ELR to public health practice.