IBMS Congress 2025

Implementation of the FHIR-SNOMED CT information standard to send new laboratory tests and more accurate patient test results

9am – 9.30am BST, 23 September 2025 ‐ 30 mins

Laboratory IT

Abstract

This presentation will explain the long overdue requirement to send new laboratory tests and enhance the data quality, accuracy, and comparability of patient test reporting from laboratories to GP patient records. The current messaging specification (NHS003 PMIP-EDIFACT) can only carry Read Codes which are out of date, have not been maintained for almost ten years and are inherently ambiguous in their design. These codes currently account for a third of all coded patient information in GP patient records and are being used to drive patient care. Unfortunately, laboratories do not have access to SNOMED CT codes that more accurately represent comparable patient test results and new tests dues to the EDFACT technical debt. The SNOMED CT codes have been developed with laboratory specialists to accurately represent the common language across UK laboratories and pathology specialisms.

The presentation will summarise the planned data flow pilots with laboratory middleware suppliers and GP suppliers, to replace the patient test data flow with FHIR messaging and SNOMED CT, and the discovery work the team has conducted to elucidate the key requirements for laboratories to migrate and flow better SNOMED CT codes in support of data-driven care.

Learning Outcomes

Delegates will understand:

• How the information standard enables the sending of new tests electronically and enhances the quality of the patient test results
• What the SNOMED CT PaLM (pathology and laboratory medicine) terminology looks like and how it improves the accuracy of computable test results to drive patient care
• How we can represent more complex structured results in FHIR-SNOMED CT that are machine processable
• What this means in relation to the LIMS implementation, the system architecture and transmission of the data

Speakers

Karim Nashar

Terminology Design Specialist, Standards Implementation Team, Technology and Information Standards NHS England

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Impact of digital initiatives on patient care – a national view

9.30am – 10am BST, 23 September 2025 ‐ 30 mins

Laboratory IT

Implementing LIMS in Scotland

10.30am – 11am BST, 23 September 2025 ‐ 30 mins

Laboratory IT

Learning outcomes

Delegates will:

• Gain awareness of the drivers, current status and plans for the LIMS implementation programme in Scotland
• Understand the challenges and opportunities of implementing a once-for-Scotland LIMS in line with Digital Strategy
• Be informed how the programme is responding to lessons learned

Cyber security and patient safety considerations for the biomedical services within the NHS

11am – 11.30am BST, 23 September 2025 ‐ 30 mins

Laboratory IT

Learning outcomes

Delegates will learn

• Major cyber incidents and impacts
• Considerations regarding product lifecycle
• The impacts on patients if we don’t get this right

Speakers

Chris Day

Clinical Lead Cyber Operations, NHS England

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Digital product assurance and securing your pathology digital systems against cyberattack

11.30am – 12pm BST, 23 September 2025 ‐ 30 mins

Laboratory IT

Learning outcomes

Delegates will understand:

How the digital product assurance enhances the quality of product implementation and go live of clinical systems.

What constitutes good practice for:

• testing and assuring digital products.
• implementing digital products.

What this means in relation to the product implementation, the system design and architecture and go live of systems.