ANNOUNCEMENT from NLM

Please email comments and questions to custserv@nlm.nih.gov with "Comments re LOINC to CPT Mapping" in the subject line.

HHS has given NLM the responsibility for funding, coordinating, and/or performing official mappings between standard clinical terminologies and HIPAA code sets. Several mappings are in various stages of development and technical validation. The draft "LNC215 to CPT2005 Mappings" is the first such map to be released for public review and comment.  It relates the 2.15 version of Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) to the 2005 version of Current Procedural Terminology, 4th ed. (CPT).  The use case for the mapping assumes that LOINC codes will be used in ordering laboratory tests and observations and that CPT codes would need to be submitted for billing purposes.  The map will thus be unidirectional from orderable LOINC codes to CPT billing codes. 
 
These files can be downloaded as a zip file (LNC215_TO_CPT_2005_MAPPINGS.zip) from the new Mappings page on the UMLSKS.  UMLS users' ability to use a mapping is governed by their licenses to use the two vocabularies in the mapping.  This draft map is therefore usable by people who have a CPT license (LOINC is freely available).  See the "License Agreement for Use of the UMLS Metathesaurus" (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/license.html) for details.
 
Production of mappings is an iterative process, which must involve testing, validation, and use in real world settings.  We strongly encourage thorough testing of this map and feedback to NLM.  In particular we would like to know:
 

• How useful is this mapping? 
• What additional areas of LOINC need to be mapped to CPT to make this map useful in your setting?
• How useful is the format used to distribute this map MAP.RRF)? 
• What, if any, changes are needed in the format?

 
Please email comments to custserv@nlm.nih.gov with "Comments re LOINC to CPT Mapping" in the subject line.
 
For more information about the mapping files please review the 'DRAFT LNC215 to CPT2005 Mappings' README file, available for download from the UMLSKS.