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pan-Canadian LOINC Observation Code Database (pCLOCD) Terms of Use

Copyright Notice and License

Canada Health Infoway Inc. (Infoway) has created the pan-Canadian LOINC® Observation Code Database (pCLOCD) from LOINC® to address local requirements in Canada.  Infoway maintains the copyright on these localized additions.

The LOINC® codes, LOINC® Table (regardless of format), LOINC® Release Notes, LOINC® Changes File, and LOINC® Users' Guide are copyright © 1995-2022, Regenstrief Institute, Inc. and the Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) Committee. All rights reserved. 

LOINC® is a registered United States trademark of Regenstrief Institute, Inc. Regenstrief Institute, Inc. and, as applicable, the LOINC Committee reserve all rights not expressly granted herein.  

Permission is hereby granted to a user who agrees to these Terms of Use (User), without payment of license fees or royalties, to use, copy, or distribute the pCLOCD (in all formats in which it is distributed by Infoway) for any commercial or non-commercial purpose, subject to the following terms and conditions:

  1. To prevent the dilution of LOINC’s purpose to provide a definitive standard for identifying clinical information in electronic reports, User shall not use the pCLOCD, nor any portion thereof, for the purpose of developing or promulgating a different standard for identifying patient observations, such as, but not limited to: laboratory test results; other diagnostic service test results; clinical observations and measurements; reports produced by clinicians and diagnostic services about patients; panels, forms, and collections that define aggregations of these observations; and orders for these entities in electronic reports and messages.
  2. User may use pCLOCD and may modify pCLOCD as permitted herein.
  3. pCLOCD includes a portion of the LOINC® Table, that is subject to a license from Regenstrief Institute, Inc. User’s use of the LOINC® Table is subject to a license, a copy of which is available currently at http://loinc.org/license. The current complete LOINC® Table is available for download at http://loinc.org. The LOINC® Table and LOINC® codes are copyright © 1995-2022, Regenstrief Institute, Inc. and the Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) Committee. THE LOINC TABLE (IN ALL FORMATS IS PROVIDED "AS IS".  ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES ARE DISCLAIMED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. LOINC® is a registered United States trademark of Regenstrief Institute, Inc.
  4. User shall not change the meaning of any of the pCLOCD codes. User shall not change the name of, or any contents of, any fields in the pCLOCD table. User may add new fields to the pCLOCD table to attach additional information to existing pCLOCD records.
  5. User may delete records from the pCLOCD table to deal with the User's local requirements. User also may add new records to the pCLOCD table to deal with the User’s local requirements, provided that if new records are added, any new entry in the pCLOCD/LOINC field of such new records must start with an alphabetic "X" so that the new codes and records cannot be confused with existing pCLOCD/LOINC codes or new pCLOCD/LOINC codes as they are defined in later releases of the LOINC or pCLOCD. Records deleted or added by the User to deal with local requirements are not reflected in the official pCLOCD table maintained by Infoway. In Canada, requests for change can be submitted to Infoway for consideration to include in the pCLOCD and to facilitate submitting such changes for consideration to include in the full LOINC release. 
  6. pCLOCD/LOINC codes and other information from the pCLOCD table may be used in electronic records and electronic messages in conjunction with laboratory test results and clinical observations, without the need to include this Copyright Notice and License or a reference thereto in the message (and without the need to include all fields required by Section 8 hereof). When the LOINC code (from the LOINC_NUM field) is included in the message, inclusion of the corresponding LOINC short name (from the SHORTNAME field), the LOINC long common name (from the LONG_COMMON_NAME field), or for laboratory terms, the LOINC Display name (from the DisplayName field) in the message is encouraged (but not required) if the message provides a place for a text name representation of the code.
  7. There is no limit on the number of copies of the pCLOCD that may be distributed by the User, provided that each copy must include this Copyright Notice and License, the LOINC Copyright Notice and License, and must include the appropriate version number of the pCLOCD. This Copyright Notice and License and the LOINC Copyright Notice and License must appear on every printed copy of the pCLOCD table. Where pCLOCD is distributed on a fixed storage medium (such as CD-ROM), a printed copy of this Copyright Notice and License must be included on or with the storage medium in a file called "pCLOCD license.txt". The LOINC Copyright Notice and License must also be included on or with the storage medium, and a text file containing the LOINC Copyright Notice and License must be stored on the storage medium in a file called "license.txt" or as otherwise specified in the LOINC Copyright Notice and License. Where pCLOCD is distributed via the Internet, this Copyright Notice and License and the LOINC Copyright Notice and License must be accessible on the same Internet page from which pCLOCD is available for download. This Copyright Notice and License must appear verbatim on every electronic or printed copy of the pCLOCD Users’ Guide.
  8. Subject to Section 1 and the other restrictions hereof, portions of the pCLOCD table may be incorporated into other products and services, such as laboratory test compendiums, data dictionaries, online terminology services, software programs including mobile device applications, and documents such as implementation guides and other technical specifications provided that:

    1. Any such product or service includes the following notice:

      "This material contains content from the pan-Canadian LOINC® Observation Code Database (pCLOCD) and is subject to a license from Canada Health Infoway Inc. (Infoway).  Your use of pCLOCD is subject to this license, a copy of which is available at https://infocentral.infoway-inforoute.ca/en/about/tou/pclocd-terms.  Infoway has created pCLOCD from LOINC® to address local requirements in Canada.  Infoway maintains the copyright on these localized additions.  All rights reserved. This material also includes a portion of the LOINC® Table and is subject to a license from Regenstrief Institute, Inc. which is available at no cost under the license at http://loinc.org/license.”

      Where the product or service is distributed with a printed license, this notice must appear in the printed license. Where the product or service is distributed on a fixed storage medium, a text file containing this information also must be stored on the storage medium in a file called "pCLOCD_short_license.txt". Where the product or service is distributed via the Internet, this notice must be accessible on the same Internet page from which the product is available for download. Where the product or service is provided as an online resource (e.g. to be accessed programmatically through an application programming interface (API) or through a user interface), this notice must be available in the license or terms of use.
    2. Any such product or service is either (1) in compliance with all applicable third- party copyright license as described in the Notice of Third Party Content and Copyright Terms section of the LOINC Copyright Notice and License, or (2) third party copyrighted contents (e.g. third party survey instruments and answers) are deleted.
    3. Any information that is extracted from the pCLOCD must always be associated with the corresponding identifier from pCLOCD/LOINC code and include the corresponding pCLOCD/LOINC display name:
      1. For LOINC codes, one of the following LOINC display names from the LOINC Table must be included:
        1. The fully-specified name, which includes the information from the COMPONENT, PROPERTY, TIME_ASPCT, SYSTEM, SCALE_TYP, and METHOD_TYP fields;
        2. The LOINC short name (from the SHORTNAME field);
        3. The LOING long common name (from the LONG_COMMON_NAME field); or,
        4. The LOINC Display name (from the DisplayName field).
      2. For LOINC identifiers other than LOINC codes, the primary corresponding display name (e.g. LOINC Answer List Name, LOINC Answer String Display Text, LOINC Part Name, LOINC Group Name) must be included.
    4. Including the appropriate version number of the pCLOCD is strongly encouraged, but not required.
    5. When LOINC codes are included, including the LOINC term status is strongly encouraged, but not required.
  9. Use and distribution of pCLOCD in ways that are not specifically discussed herein must be approved by Infoway.  User may request approval, contact us. 
  10. If User desires to translate any of pCLOCD into a language other than English, the User needs to obtain approval from Infoway. User may request approval, contact us.
  11. Infoway welcomes requests from User for new pCLOCD content (terms, codes, or associated material such as text descriptions and synonyms) and suggestions about revisions to existing content within pCLOCD.
  12. The names "Canada Health Infoway Inc.", "Canada Health Infoway", "Infoway" may not be used in a way which could be interpreted as an endorsement or a promotion of any product or service without prior written permission of Canada Health Infoway Inc.
  13. DISCLAIMER:  REGENSTRIEF INSTITUTE, INC., THE LOINC COMMITTEE,  AND CANADA HEALTH INFOWAY INC., AS WELL AS ANY CONTRIBUTORS WHO HAVE PROVIDED TRANSLATIONS OF THE pCLOCD, DO NOT ACCEPT LIABILITY FOR ANY OMISSIONS OR ERRORS IN pCLOCD. pCLOCD IS PROVIDED "AS IS”, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. ANY EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES ARE HEREBY DISCLAIMED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND WARRANTIES ARISING FROM A COURSE OF DEALING, TRADE USAGE, OR TRADE PRACTICE. FURTHER, NO WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION IS MADE CONCERNING THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, SEQUENCE, TIMELINESS OR AVAILABILITY OF pCLOCD, OR ANY TRANSLATIONS OR DERIVATIVE WORKS OF THE FOREGOING. IN NO EVENT SHALL REGENSTRIEF INSTITUTE, INC. OR THE LOINC COMMITTEE OR CANADA HEALTH INFOWAY INC. BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, RELIANCE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ATTORNEYS' FEES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; OPPORTUNITY COSTS; LOSS OF USE, DATA, SAVINGS OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF pCLOCD, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE OR IF SUCH DAMAGES WERE FORESEEABLE. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS, SO SOME OF THE FOREGOING MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
  14. This license shall be construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario and the laws of Canada applicable therein.

Publication Date: September 2022

LOINC and RELMA Terms of Use

The pan-Canadian LOINC Observation Code Database (pCLOCD) contains a portion of the LOINC® table, LOINC panels and forms file, and/or LOINC hierarchies file, or is derived from one or more of the foregoing, subject to a license from Regenstrief Institute, Inc. Your use of the LOINC table, LOINC codes, LOINC panels and forms file, and LOINC hierarchies file also is subject to this license. The current complete LOINC table, LOINC Users' Guide, LOINC panels and forms file, and LOINC hierarchies file are available for download here: http://loinc.org/. The LOINC table and LOINC codes are copyright © 1995-2022, Regenstrief Institute, Inc. and the Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) Committee.

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

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




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