Lab Matters Summer 2022 | Page 25

INFORMATICS

The public health laboratory informatics community is currently grappling with several significant challenges as well as exciting opportunities . The Data Modernization Initiative ( DMI ) is providing critical funding to laboratories to address chronic needs such as electronic test order and result ( ETOR ) implementation , workforce shortages and widespread system and infrastructure upgrades . Now more than ever , there is an urgent need to strongly establish , connect and engage the public health laboratory informatics community .

To that end , APHL ’ s Informatics Committee launched the Interoperability Forum in January . The intent of this quarterly series is to feature solutions to common informatics challenges through presentations and demonstrations from laboratories , as well as provide a venue for the community to raise questions , share successes and connect . The theme for 2022 is “ The Paperless Laboratory ,” and has been designed to specifically highlight the latest innovations and techniques that laboratories can leverage to reduce reliance on paper and manual processes .

Collaborating for Interoperability

Nearly 200 people attended the first forum , which served as an after-action review of the informatics response to COVID-19 . The session featured presentations from Frank Delin , director , Office of Information and Technology at the State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa , and from Susanne Crowe , MHA , director , Florida Department of Health Bureau of Public Health Laboratories-Jacksonville .

Attendees had the opportunity to examine Iowa and Florida ’ s strategies and techniques for expanding capacity for electronic test orders and results during the pandemic , onboarding non-traditional partners and managing an unprecedented volume of data . Several attendees shared their laboratories ’ unique and often shared experiences regarding the COVID-19 response during the open discussion following the presentation .

Planning for the next Interoperability Forum is underway and details were shared at APHL 2022 , and will be online at www . aphl . org once the date is confirmed .

Opportunities for Engagement

In addition to the launch of the Interoperability Forum , APHL is exploring other mechanisms to engage the public health laboratory informatics community to strategically coordinate efforts , and understand pain points . With so much funding and urgency , the opportunity to level set as a cohesive group — learn what laboratories are doing , hoping to do and trying to figure out — will offer insight and illuminate possibilities for the group at large .

APHL is preparing to establish regular open “ office hours ” -type calls for this group . This free-flowing platform will serve as an informal informatics check-in and touch-base for laboratories to pose questions , seek advice , raise concerns and offer technical solutions . It will help APHL and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) directly understand the perspectives of the laboratories , and identify technical assistance needs and potential approaches to widespread challenges .

By convening this community , APHL will identify and share important work and stories and can better advocate for needs and help inform national policy . Another goal is to facilitate an environment that empowers laboratories to form their own ad-hoc relationships and rely on community members for support , guidance , mentorship and assurance . n

DIGITAL EXTRA : If you have stories to share or topics to suggest for the Interoperability Forum or you would like to register for the community user group , please e-mail rachel . shepherd @ aphl . org .