PA-Electronic Laboratory Reporting (PA-ELR)

As part of the next generation of electronic laboratory reporting (ELR) applications, the Department of Health (DOH) has developed a solution called PA-ELR.  Currently, the DOH receives laboratory results electronically from a limited number of laboratories through legacy system interfaces; this is a combination of manual and automated processes. In an effort to develop an integrated, streamlined, and secure process for laboratories to report patient test results and for the Department to process these results, the PA-ELR project was established.

The PA-ELR application provides laboratories two (2) methods of electronically submitting patient test results in a Health Level Seven (HL7) message format to the DOH. Test results are submitted either in a manual or an automated process via the Pennsylvania National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (PA-NEDSS) portal.

Participating in the PA-ELR system allows laboratories to report all reportable conditions through a single secure transmission method. This method is an industry-standard messaging format which can reduce an organization's costs for maintenance and support of legacy reporting methods. Depending on your organization’s reporting volumes, PA-ELR can reduce laboratory reporting hours required to perform online data entry through the PA-NEDSS Laboratory Short-Form. In turn, Pennsylvania residents benefit from PA-ELR’s reduced reporting cycle times, improved data accuracy, and improved response times for public health staff to investigate diseases.

Participating as a Trading Partner in PA-ELR

If your organization is interested in participating in PA-ELR, please have someone from your organization complete the registration form by clicking the following link: Online Registration Form. This is the first step your organization must complete to begin the process of reporting through PA-ELR. Once your organization is registered, your organization will be put into the PA-ELR on-boarding queue. Based on your organization's reporting volumes and types of diseases your organization will be reporting, your laboratory will be prioritized for the PA-ELR on-boarding process. The PA-ELR team will reach out to the contact person from the completed online registration form with a tentative timeline when your organization can begin the next step which is the message testing phase. Once your organization has completed the online registration form, the PA-ELR team will provide technical documentation for uploading messages.

ELR Message Uploads

Manual Method: The designated user will log on to the PA-NEDSS web application. After selecting the Administration Tab, the user will click on the ELR Lab File Upload link to browse their local computer or network. After locating the correct, well-formed HL7 file, the user will select the HL7 document and submit this ELR file. The file will be sent to the PA-ELR application for processing.
Automated Method: The automated process will allow your organization to utilize the PA-ELR web service for disease reporting compliance. Local technical staff must develop your organization's application to automatically send files to the PA-ELR system. 

Security

Both laboratory upload methods (manual or automated) incorporate the requirements from the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to ensure security and privacy of a patient's Protected Health Information (PHI). All disease data will be transmitted to the DOH via the internet over a secure socket layer (SSL) connection.

Project Status

The first phase of the PA-ELR project was completed with the successful go-live of PA-ELR reporting on February 7, 2005. Currently PA-ELR is accepting Blood Lead, HIV/AIDS and all communicable disease test results.  If your organization would be interested in participating in the PA-ELR project, please have someone from your organization complete the Online Registration form, this is the first step your organization must perform to begin the process of reporting through PA-ELR. If you have any questions you can contact us through email at PA-ELR@pa.gov or you can speak with our help desk representatives at (717) 783-9171.

How to Participate in the PA-ELR Project?

The DOH has identified the following set of expectations that all laboratory organizations, including Legacy ELR Trading Partners, must meet in order to participate in the PA-ELR project as a Trading Partner:

1) Complete the PA-ELR Online Registration Form
To participate in the PA-ELR project, have someone from your organization complete the Online Registration form, this is the first step your organization must do to begin the process of reporting through PA-ELR. Once your organization is registered, you will be put into the PA-ELR on-boarding queue. Based on your organization’s reporting volumes and types of diseases your organization will be reporting, your laboratory will be prioritized for the PA-ELR on-boarding process. The PA-ELR team will reach out to the contact person from the completed online registration form with a tentative timeline when your organization can begin step 2) below, the message testing phase. Once your organization has completed the online registration form, the PA-ELR team will provide technical documentation for uploading messages.
 

2) Construct a PA-ELR HL7 Message and Receive Approval from the DOH
The PA-ELR application will accept Health Level 7 (HL7) version 2.3.1 formatted unsolicited observation messages (ORU) that conform to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) standards and DOH standards. It is your organization's responsibility to develop HL7 test messages and send these Test Messages to the PA-ELR testing website to ensure your message is acceptable by PA-ELR. Only after these test messages have been approved by the DOH IT group and the Program Area Managers (e.g. epidemiologists, program analysts) will your organization be able to submit reports in a production mode and fulfill your reporting requirements via PA-ELR.
 

3) Production Mode into PA-ELR
Once approved for production, the last step in the process will be a Go-Live conference call to discuss with your organization PA-ELR hours of operation, application maintenance windows, help desk contact information, standard operating procedures, and answer any questions that your organization might have.
 

PA-ELR Documentation:

The PA-ELR HL7 2.3.1 Guidelines (PDF format) contain specific PA-ELR message requirements. This document should be the starting point for constructing a well-formed HL7 message that is acceptable by the PA-ELR application. This document contains examples of well-formed PA-ELR messages based on various tests.

The DOH looks forward to working with you and your organization in this project and appreciates your cooperation.

PA-ELR Team

Any Questions or Comments
Please contact us at PA-ELR@pa.gov