Regenstrief Institute and SNOMED International are set to debut the first production release of the LOINC Ontology: A LOINC and SNOMED CT Interoperability Solution. The LOINC Ontology is designed to enhance the ability of health data exchange implementers worldwide to use the two terminologies together.
This work is the result of nearly three years of collaboration to coordinate terminology issued by both standards development organizations, including this first official version of LOINC terms within SNOMED CT’s ontological framework. The LOINC Ontology version 1.0 will be heralded by a special webinar event hosted by both organizations.
The 90-minute free webinar will be held on Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at 9:30 a.m. EDT (1:30 p.m. UTC/GMT). Representatives from both Regenstrief Institute and SNOMED International will lead the presentation with participation from stakeholders. Individuals are asked to register to attend on the LOINC website at loinc.org/ontology.
This ontology builds on the technical preview launched in 2023 on the loincsnomed.org website. The new release will feature more than 35,000 concepts in the laboratory domain, representing at least 80% of test volume. Additional lab content will be added incrementally as will clinical observations, documents, radiology, and survey assessments.
Existing SNOMED CT observables will be aligned to LOINC codes and new LOINC codes will be created as needed. LOINC Parts will be mapped to SNOMED concepts, and new SNOMED CT concepts will be created as needed.
The webinar will provide users clear guidance on the use of both standards within the same system. Attendees are encouraged to supply their questions for the group as part of registration. There will also be opportunities to ask impromptu questions.