Terms of Use:

pan-Canadian LOINC Observation Code Database (pCLOCD) Terms of Use:  https://infocentral.infoway-inforoute.ca/en/about/tou/pclocd-terms 
LOINC and RELMA Terms of Use:  https://infocentral.infoway-inforoute.ca/en/about/tou/loinc-terms

1. General pCLOCD Information

This document describes the high level steps that are taken to complete the biannual French Translation for pCLOCD new and changed codes. See Appendix A for support process diagram.

The pan-Canadian LOINC Observation Code Database (pCLOCD) Standard is based on international standards and customized to meet the needs of Canadian stakeholders.  This standard is intended to support the use of electronic data exchange using both existing standards as well as the HL7 v3 based lab messaging standard.  Together, these standards are required to achieve an interoperable pan-Canadian Electronic Health Record and facilitate the electronic exchange of laboratory information.

The pCLOCD was created using the LOINC® records and attributes that specifically meet Canadian laboratory ordering and reporting requirements.  It will include records that cover most laboratory domains and that pertain to laboratory testing on humans and non-humans.

The pCLOCD is published as a bilingual artifact. Regenstrief Institute provided an initial parts table to Infoway to facilitate translations.  The work was completed over several phases, and each phase was returned to Regenstrief for publication in the full LOINC release via the RELMA program. The project was completed in 2009, with approximately 90% of the pCLOCD translated. In 2010 negotiations were initiated to develop a sustainable maintenance process between the two organizations.

2.   French Translation Publications

2.1 Regenstrief Role and Publications

Canada Health Infoway and Regenstrief Institute negotiated a maintenance process to update the French Canadian translations that were provided to Regenstrief in 2009. Regenstrief publishes a new version of LOINC twice a year, in February and August. Codes are translated at the part level, which allows one translation to be used across multiple records. Once the new version is published, Regenstrief supplies Infoway with a new parts table. The parts table translations are updated by Infoway and are returned to Regenstrief to be published with the next version. Each version of LOINC includes translated material from the previous six months. As a result, any new or significantly changed codes may not have a French translation represented until the next version is published.

2.2 Infoway Role and Publications

The core attributes of the LOINC/pCLOCD record have been translated to Canadian French and are published in the pCLOCD. These core attributes are:

  1. Component
  2. Property
  3. System
  4. Timing
  5. Scale
  6. Method
  7. Class

Along with the core attributes, pCLOCD also provides a French Canadianized Component Name, which, when provided, provides the basis for the French Canadian Display Name and Example Viewer Name.

The pCLOCD contains a Translation Status attribute with the following status:

  1. Not Yet Translated – these records do not have a French Translation available in the current release
  2. Review Draft – these records have a translation available for the first time. First time translations remain at review draft for one publication
  3. Complete – these records have a translation that has been published previously and are considered stable for use.

Since 2010 maintenance processes have considered both the French and the English attributes as part of the maintenance process. When English attributes change sufficiently that the existing translation is no longer accurate, the LOINC record returns to a status of Not Yet Translated.

3.   Maintenance of Translations

Maintenance of the codes that are translated is a two-step process. The first step occurs as general maintenance is applied to a LOINC record. If the change is such that an existing translation can be used, both the English and the French are updated at the same time. If the change is such that it requires a new translation, then the existing translation is removed and the code status changes to ‘Not Yet Translated’. Codes that are not translated require input from the translation team. This work is initiated by the release of a new version of the LOINC database.

3.1 Canadian Translation Processes

  1. A new version of LOINC is published. (Step 1 Figure 1)
  2. Infoway reviews the new release and publishes a new release of the pCLOCD (Step 2 Figure 1).
  3. Infoway creates a list of all the LOINC codes in use in Canada and sends it to Regenstrief as an excel spread sheet (Step 3 Figure 1).
  4. Regenstrief generates a parts table based on codes provided by Infoway. The table contains all the parts in use in Canada. It identifies parts that have changed since the last release as well as new parts and parts not yet translated.
  5. The parts table is reviewed for parts that have been revised since the last publication, these are the most urgent in terms of ensuring the current translation is still correct or providing a new translation (Step 4 Figure 1).
  6. An excel spread sheet is created with the revised parts and a small selection of new translations (either translations that have not been previously completed or new parts that require translation)
  7. The spread sheet is shared with the French Translation Working Group if required (Infoway SME Chair, Quebec Member, New Brunswick Member) and a meeting is called.
  8. The Translation Working Group approves the list of proposed translations and is offered an opportunity to identify priority translations based on their projects.
  9. The agreed upon terms are translated (by either the SME or a member of the working group) and the group agrees by consensus that the translations are approved (Step 5 Figure 1).
  10. All approved translations are added to the part table, which is returned to Regenstrief in time for the next published release of LOINC.
  11. All approved translations are added to the pCLOCD in time for the next published release (Step 6 Figure 1).
  12. Regenstrief incorporates the new parts table into the LOINC database (Step 7 Figure 1).
  13. Regenstrief publishes a new version of LOINC (Step 8 Figure 1)

4.   Maintenance Schedules

Regenstrief publishes an update to the LOINC standard twice a year, approximately in February and August. The changes from these publications are analyzed and reflected in the pCLOCD in both official languages. Infoway publishes an update to the pCLOCD standard twice a year, once in January and July (typically one month following the Regenstrief publication). All approved revised French Translations from the previous release and any new codes timely submitted to Infoway from any jurisdiction will be included in these updates.

Appendix A French Translation Maintenance

Figure 1


Appendix B French Translation Maintenance

LOINC Codes consist of several parts. A parts file is maintained by Regenstrief LOINC team and sent to Infoway prior to every LOINC release. It will contain the most recent translation and identify if the part name has been changed.

Infoway updates file with the revised translations for all new and revised parts, once completed the file is returned to Regenstrief LOINC team.




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