Background

Closely related to naming of tests is the naming of test component atoms.

eg. Hb as an atom component of FBC

Australian pathology providers vary in their naming of test atoms that are reported back to GP's on various items.

For Example test atom names for Hb can appear as

1. "718-7",
2. "2033^C3761",
3. "L^Hb",
4. "THB",
5. "2133^C3761",
6. "2033^H0010"

DCP uses the atom part of the name returned by pathology providers that can uniquely represent the identity of the test atom.

Clinical software is naive with regard to the names of the test atoms and what they represent in general.

Thus it is largely up to the GP to search for correct names when manually scanning the previous test history to find relevant tests atoms.

DCP attempts to unify the different names for test atoms, used by pathology companies, into valid unique test groups which can then be used in logic applied to guidelines.

DCP fails to detect pathology tests. ie, Missing Pathology Tests which are shown in clinical software.

Over the years I have copiled names into a database of tests and DCP uses this internally.

However, new names keep popping up and DCP may not recognise a test atom as returned by your pathology provider into the appropriate group.

To view the name of the test atom that DCP is not detecting it is easiest to look in the DCP using the 'Latest Result Viewer'

Find the test and click on the LoinC button

Take note of the relevent LoinC code and send to to with the name of the item it should be detected as. Screenshots help too.