Software standards and the laboratory information system.

Software standards simplify communication and cooperation between applications provided by different software vendors. However, adherence to a rigid standard can stifle innovation. Open standards, which are not proprietary to any particular vendor, are particularly useful. Many standard-setting organizations have provided useful tools for laboratory informatics, including the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards, and the College of American Pathologists. Data communication standards, such as ASTM 1238, HL7, and Digital Image Communication of Medicine, have reduced the cost and improved the timeliness of interfaces. Nomenclatures, particularly the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine (SNOMED), have facilitated the structuring of medical information, and decision rules can be communicated with ASTM E1460. Laboratory Observation Identifier Names and Codes has eased the problem of identifying tests during interchange of laboratory data. Implementation standards are useful references for those deploying information systems. Standards have provided multiple benefits to laboratories and to the health care organizations of which they are a component.