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The Lab Unit Conversion File

The document discusses unit conversion files that can be imported into an EMR application to convert lab result units between different standards used by labs and the EMR. A sample conversion file is provided with a defined structure of specifying a source unit, conversion ratio, and target unit on each line. Considerations for using a conversion file include it applying to all incoming results and only affecting values in the flowsheet, not original lab reports. Steps are outlined for importing a conversion file through the EMR application interface.

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bri_mel
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111 views

The Lab Unit Conversion File

The document discusses unit conversion files that can be imported into an EMR application to convert lab result units between different standards used by labs and the EMR. A sample conversion file is provided with a defined structure of specifying a source unit, conversion ratio, and target unit on each line. Considerations for using a conversion file include it applying to all incoming results and only affecting values in the flowsheet, not original lab reports. Steps are outlined for importing a conversion file through the EMR application interface.

Uploaded by

bri_mel
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The LinkLogic Lab Unit Conversion File

A. Unit Conversion File Overview


Sometimes the units for a lab result differ between the laboratory and the EMR application. For example, the lab sends a value with a unit of THOU but the EMR application has the unit as 10*3. In some cases the lab may send the unit in metric values such as KG but the EMR application uses LBS. The first case is a simple unit naming difference. The second actually requires a conversion to be performed to ensure the value is correct for the destination unit. The EMR application has an internal table that handles most of the known unit conversions. In addition, users may extend this table by importing a unit conversion file.

B. Unit Conversion File Definition


The unit conversion file specifies a list of lab result unit names and conversion ratios. By importing this file, users can extend the internal conversion ration table to include those units listed in the file. An example unit conversion file is shown below:
Unit Conversions v1.0 %,1,%TOTAL HGB 10*6,1,MIL 10*3,1,THOU MM HG,1,MMHG MM(HG),1,MMHG %,1,/100 CELLS 10*3,1,X1000 G(CREAT),1,G (CREAT)

THOUSAND/UL,1,10*3/mm3 Unit conversion file definition: The file extension must be .cnv (e.g. AcmeLabs.cnv) The first non-blank line in the file must contain version information for the conversion file. As of this writing, this must be Unit Conversions v1.0. Each non-blank line after the version information must contain a comma-separated list of exactly three items of the following form: Unit1,Ratio,Unit2 Where Unit1 Ratio Unit2 Contains a unit name string (20 character maximum) Double-precision floating-point number for conversion factor, i.e. there are Ratio Unit2s in a Unit1 Contains a unit name string (20-character maximum)

C. Considerations
Once installed, the units conversion file applies to all incoming lab results. This means all incoming lab results for all of your lab interfaces will be affected. This may be exactly what you want. For a conversion such as THOUSAND/UL -> 10*3/mm3 that makes sense. But you need to be cautious because once you import the units conversion file you cant undo it. Also be aware that the conversion only applies to the flowsheet. The content of the lab report itself will continue to reflect the data as it was sent from the lab. This means that any converted values will show a different unit in the flowsheet than it does in the lab report. Be sure to have someone familiar with the units assist with the creation of the units conversion file to ensure that the mappings are correct.

D. Importing the Unit Conversion File into the EMR


Complete the following steps to import a unit conversion file: 1. Log into the EMR application as superuser. For most of the versions of Centricity EMR, only the superuser has access to the unit conversion file import option. 2. Go to Setup | Settings | LinkLogic > Import Interface Kits. 3. Click Import Conversions over on the right. You see the Import Unit Conversions window. 4. Navigate to the location of the unit conversion file and open it. An example file (ml.cnv) is located at <EMR root folder>/LLOGIC/CONFIG/STANDARD. You see the Results window display import information for each unit conversion entry. Duplicates are ignored. The last message is Unit Conversion Import Completed.

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