CLSI LIS2-A2-2004

This standard covers the two-way digital transmission of remote
requests and results between clinical laboratory instruments and
information systems. It is intended to document the common
conventions required for the interchange of clinical results and
patient data between clinical laboratory instruments and
information systems. This standard specifies the message content
for transferring information between a clinical laboratory
instrument and an information system. It enables any two such
systems to establish a logical link for communicating text to send
result, request, or demographic information in a standardized and
interpretable form. This standard does not necessarily apply to
general analytical instruments in an industrial analytical setting,
or to a research and development setting.

This standard is intended to apply to the structure of messages
exchanged between clinical laboratory instruments and information
systems by means of defined communications protocols. Low-level
communications protocols and data transfer requirements are beyond
the scope of this standard. A separate specification is available
detailing a standard for low-level data transfer communications
(see NCCLS document LIS1—Standard Specification for Low-Level
Protocol to Transfer Messages Between Clinical Laboratory
Instruments and Computer Systems).

This standard specifies the conventions for structuring the
content of the message and for representing the data elements
contained within those structures. It is applicable to all
text-oriented clinical instrumentation. It has been specifically
created to provide common conventions for interfacing computers and
instruments in a clinical setting. It would also be applicable to
interfacing instruments in clinical practice settings, such as
physicians' offices, clinics, and satellite laboratories. The
intended users of this standard are developers of clinical
laboratory information systems and clinical laboratory
managers.