Acronym
LOINC
Type
Standards Development Organisation
Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) is a coding system that allows health care organisations, hospitals, physicians offices and to share clinical observations electronically for clinical care and management purposes. The Regenstrief Institute is the steward for LOINC and is responsible for defining and maintaining LOINC as universal terminology standard for identifying for laboratory and clinical observations.
LOINC applies universal code names and identifiers to medical terminology related to electronic health records. The purpose is to assist in the electronic exchange and gathering of clinical results such as laboratory tests, clinical observations, outcomes management and research. The code sets defined by LOINC include medical laboratory code names, nursing diagnosis, nursing interventions, outcomes classification, and patient care data sets.
Find out about LOINC.
Find out about how LOINC develop standards.
LOINC is copyright © 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.
Resources
Abbreviations and acronyms used in LOINC
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
This document is an alphabetical list of the abbreviations and acronyms used across LOINC (Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes), a common language for identifying health measurements, observations and documents.
Knowledge Base: Release Notes Archive – Versioning
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
This page describes LOINC’s versioning and labelling system, including the overall naming pattern, LOINC version, artefact versions, software versions and LOINC licence version.
Knowledge Base: Search API v2024
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2024
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Feb 2024
LOINC is piloting a new API to allow users to search the extensive LOINC database, the same API powers the SearchLOINC API web app. This document provides links to the EndPoints, lists the search parameters and shows example queries.
LOINC Knowledge Base: Enriched Linkages between LOINC terms and LOINC Parts
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
This document describes the enhanced model of relationships between LOINC terms and LOINC Parts that was introduced in version 2.66. The model clarifies LOINC term labelling and defines 8 groups of LinkTypes.
LOINC Laboratory Mapping Guides
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
This page contains links to 7 guides for using LOINC terms across the following laboratory domains: Allergy, Cell Markers, Chemistry, Drug and Toxicology, Hematology and Serology, Molecular Pathology, and Microbiology.
LOINC Search Syntax: Answer List Search
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
This document describes the RELMA Answer List Search screen and explains how to conduct a search and interpret the results.
LOINC Users' Guide
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
The LOINC Users' Guide explains how LOINC was developed and provides detailed guidance on its use.
LOINC Users' Guide: 1 - Introduction v2020
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2020
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Jun 2020
This document is the first section of the Users' Guide for LOINC, which is an international standard for identifying health measurements, observations and documents such as laboratory and clinical test results.
LOINC Users' Guide: 3 - Special cases v2023
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2023
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Aug 2023
This document is the third section of the Users' Guide for LOINC, it discusses LOINC codes that do not follow the usual format for LOINC codes.
LOINC Version 2.78
Category
Standard
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2.78
Access
Open
Status
Active
These zip files contain all of the core LOINC files, including the LOINC Table, documentation and all accessory files.
LOINC/RSNA Radiology Playbook User Guide
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
This document combines and unifies the useful aspects of LOINC Radiology and the RSNA (Radiological Society of North America) RadLex Playbook, both of which are designed to represent concepts of radiology orderables and results and their attributes.
RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant): About Box
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
The RELMA About Box displays important information such as the version numbers of the RELMA program and LOINC database.
RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant): Auto Mapper Search
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
This document introduces the RELMA Auto Mapper Search function and provides instructions for its use.
RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant): Community Mapping Repository
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
This document introduces the RELMA Community Mapping Repository, a database of local code mappings contributed by individual mappers, and provides instructions for uploading mappings to the repository.
RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant): Importing a File
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
This document describes the processes involved in importing local codes into the RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant) program.
RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant): Keyword Spell Check
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
This document describes the process for identifying and reviewing keywords that are flagged as unknown by the RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant) program.
RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant): Lab Auto Mapper
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
This document provides instructions for using the Lab Auto Mapper tool in RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant), which helps automate the mapping process for laboratory terms.
RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant): Mapping Local Terms to LOINC
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
This document describes the process for mapping local terms to LOINC terms in RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant), focusing on different aspects of the mapping screen.
RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant): Mapping Local Terms to LOINC – Conducting a search
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
This document assists RELMA users in performing different types of searches using the RELMA mapping screen.
RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant): Mapping Local Terms to LOINC – Mapping your local term to a LOINC term
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
This document describes the final stage in the process of mapping local terms to LOINC terms in RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant). It covers keyword selection, search, selection of a LOINC record and association of the LOINC record with the local term.
RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant): Mapping Local Terms to LOINC – Search Constraints Screen
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
This page describes the search constraints that can be employed to narrow searches performed against the LOINC database.
RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant): Mapping Local Terms to LOINC – Viewing LOINC details
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
This page describes the process for viewing LOINC details, a function that is useful when a mapping search yields several similar records and additional information is necessary to decide which record is best.
RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant): Overview
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
This page gives a high-level overview of RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant) and provides instructions for downloading and installing the program.
RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant): Preferred Linguistic Variant
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
This document explains how to select a preferred linguistic variant in RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant).
RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant): Program Overview
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
This document provides an overview of technical aspects of the RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant) program.
RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant): Searching in RELMA
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
This page describes the simplified search screen used within RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant) to query the LOINC database for the details of a particular LOINC.
RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant): Term File Operations
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
This page describes RELMA’s (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant) term file operations, which allow users to perform tasks including adding, exporting and editing local terms.
RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant): User Preferences
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
This page provides details about the customisation options available in RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant), where these options are located in the User Preferences window and how to select the correct option for a given purpose.
RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant): Welcome Screen
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
This page describes the RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant) welcome screen, which shows the RELMA main menu.
Requesting a new LOINC
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
This page provides a link to a site that outlines the process for requesting a new LOINC and requesting changes to existing LOINC content.
Search Syntax: Advanced Search Syntax v2024
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2024
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Feb 2024
This document outlines the search syntax for advanced users searching the LOINC database.
Search Syntax: Basic Search Syntax v2022
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2022
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Feb 2022
This document outlines the basic search syntax for searching the LOINC database. It also lists the types of LOINC field names.
Search Syntax: Overview v2022
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2022
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Feb 2022
The LOINC database is available for download in either CSV or Microsoft Access format. Two resources for searching the LOINC database are also available, SearchLOINC and RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant). A robust set of search syntax can be used with either resource.
Search Syntax: Part Search v2022
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2022
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Jul 2022
This document describes how to search for matching parts of the LOINC name within the SearchLOINC and RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant) search tools.
The LOINC Committee
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
This document describes the structure of the LOINC Committee and explains how users can formally apply for inclusion in one of its composite committees or subcommittees.
Users' Guide: 10 - Standardized assessment measures v2020
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2020
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Dec 2020
This document is the tenth section of the Users' Guide for LOINC, it explains how the number of standard measures (ways to assess health) has been increased since the first LOINC version.
Users' Guide: 11 - Editorial policies and procedures v2021
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2021
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Jun 2021
This document is the eleventh section of the Users' Guide for LOINC, it explains how LOINC handles changes in the standards and publishes LOINC codes.
Users' Guide: 12 - Recommendations for best practices in using and mapping to LOINC v2023
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2023
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Aug 2023
This document is the twelfth section of the Users' Guide for LOINC, it provides information to help users of LOINC make the best use of the standard. This overview includes how to map local panels to a LOINC panel.
Users' Guide: 12 A - LOINC Database Structure v2024
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2024
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Feb 2024
This document is the first subsection of section 12 of the Users' Guide for LOINC, it sets out the structure of the LOINC database.
Users' Guide: 12 B - Classes v2024
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2024
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Apr 2024
This document is the second subsection of section 12 of the Users' Guide for LOINC, it lists all the class terms used in LOINC in 4 categories: clinical term classes, laboratory term classes, attachment term classes and survey term classes.
Users' Guide: 12 C - Calculating Mod 10 Check Digits v2023
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2023
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Aug 2023
This document is the third subsection of section 12 of the Users' Guide for LOINC, it presents the 8-step algorithm for calculating a Mod 10 check digit. It also lists the 14 terms known to have invalid check digits and contains a link on how to calculate check digits for atypical identifiers.
Users' Guide: 12 D - Procedure for Submitting Additions or Changes to LOINC v2020
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2020
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
May 2020
This document is the fourth subsection of section 12 of the Users' Guide for LOINC, it describes the procedure for submitting additions or changes to LOINC.
Users' Guide: 12 E - Examples for LOINC Property Matching v2021
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2021
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Jun 2021
This document is the fifth subsection of section 12 of the Users' Guide for LOINC, it gives examples of LOINC Property matching for developers.
Users' Guide: 12 G - LOINC Technical Briefs v2021
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2021
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Jun 2021
This document is the sixth subsection of section 12 of the Users' Guide for LOINC, it contains 11 technical briefs that have been developed for various LOINC terms to clarify either the meaning, current nomenclature or use case of a given term. The technical briefs are linked to related LOINC terms in RELMA (Regenstrief LOINC Mapping Assistant).
Users' Guide: 12 G - LOINC Technical Briefs: Choosing the Correct LOINC for Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate v2022
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2022
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Jul 2022
This document is part of Section 12 G of the Users' Guide for LOINC, it contains 11 technical briefs. This brief is about choosing the correct LOINC for estimated glomerular filtration rate.
Users' Guide: 12 G - LOINC Technical Briefs: D-Dimer Revisions in LOINC v2023
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2023
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Aug 2023
This document is part of Section 12 G of the Users' Guide for LOINC, it contains 11 technical briefs. This brief is about D-Dimer revisions in LOINC.
Users' Guide: 12 G - LOINC Technical Briefs: Free Thyroxine Index Variants v2020
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2020
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Jun 2020
This document is part of Section 12 G of the Users' Guide for LOINC, it contains 11 technical briefs. This brief is about free thyroxine index variants.
Users' Guide: 12 G - LOINC Technical Briefs: Inducible Clindamycin Resistance in Staphylococcus and Streptococcus v2021
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2021
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Jun 2021
This document is part of Section 12 G of the Users' Guide for LOINC, it contains 11 technical briefs. This brief is about inducible clindamycin resistance in Staphylococcus and Streptococcus.
Users' Guide: 12 G - LOINC Technical Briefs: KIR Gene Family v2021
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2021
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Jun 2021
This document is part of Section 12 G of the Users' Guide for LOINC, it contains 11 technical briefs. This brief is about the KIR gene family.
Users' Guide: 12 G - LOINC Technical Briefs: Nomenclature of Salmonella Species, Subspecies, and Serovars v2021
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2021
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Jun 2021
This document is part of Section 12 G of the Users' Guide for LOINC, it contains 11 technical briefs. This brief is about nomenclature of Salmonella species, subspecies, and serovars.
Users' Guide: 12 G - LOINC Technical Briefs: Non-linear Numerical Values "Binned" to Ordinal or Range v2023
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2023
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Aug 2023
This document is part of Section 12 G of the Users' Guide for LOINC, it contains 11 technical briefs. This brief is about non-linear numerical values 'binned' to ordinal or range.
Users' Guide: 12 G - LOINC Technical Briefs: Oxygen Saturation and LOINC v2020
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2020
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Jun 2020
This document is part of Section 12 G of the Users' Guide for LOINC, it contains 11 technical briefs. This brief is about oxygen saturation and LOINC.
Users' Guide: 12 G - LOINC Technical Briefs: Segmented Neutrophils Versus Polymorphonuclear WBC v2020
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2020
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Jun 2020
This document is part of Section 12 G of the Users' Guide for LOINC, it contains 11 technical briefs. This brief is about segmented neutrophils versus polymorphonuclear white blood cells.
Users' Guide: 12 G - LOINC Technical Briefs: Streptococcus pneumoniae Serotype Nomenclature v2021
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2021
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Jun 2021
This document is part of Section 12 G of the Users' Guide for LOINC, it contains 11 technical briefs. This brief is about Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype nomenclature.
Users' Guide: 12 G - LOINC Technical Briefs: Vitamin D v2021
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2021
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Jun 2021
This document is part of Section 12 G of the Users' Guide for LOINC, it contains 11 technical briefs. This brief is about vitamin D.
Users' Guide: 2 - Major parts of a LOINC term v2023
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2023
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Aug 2023
This document is the second section of the Users' Guide for LOINC on Major parts of a LOINC term describes the LOINC code and the five or six parts of the Fully Specified Name (FSN) that together form the LOINC term.
Users' Guide: 4 - Clinical observations and measures v2023
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2023
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Sep 2023
This document is the fourth section of the Users' Guide for LOINC, it describes how the parts of the names of clinical observations and measures are incorporated into LOINC.
Users' Guide: 5 - Claims attachments v2022
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2022
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Feb 2022
This document is the fifth section of the Users' Guide for LOINC, it links to a URL with information to help providers and payers exchange claims attachments electronically.
Users' Guide: 6 - Document ontology v2024
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2024
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Feb 2024
This document is the sixth section of the Users' Guide for LOINC, it describes how LOINC codes are created for different types of documents.
Users' Guide: 7 - Panels (batteries) v2021
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2021
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Jun 2021
This document is the seventh section of the Users' Guide for LOINC, it explains how LOINC 'panel' codes are created to represent and link to a group of related elements, such as vital signs or urinalysis.
Users' Guide: 8 - Evolving principles for naming collections v2020
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2020
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
May 2020
This document is the eighth section of the Users' Guide for LOINC, it lays out how the LOINC model for naming collections (e.g. panels) is being refined for better consistency and ease of use, and to avoid increasing numbers of names.
Users' Guide: 9 - Additional content in the LOINC distribution v2020
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Version
2020
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
Jun 2020
This document is the ninth section of the Users' Guide for LOINC, it discusses the different types of names of LOINC terms, as well as related information and documents.
Using LOINC in HIPAA Attachments
Category
User guide
Organisation
LOINC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
This document provides guidance on using LOINC codes in electronic exchanges of attachments between payers and providers.