HIMSS Word of the Day #029: Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC)
LOINC gives every lab test and clinical observation a universal code, so a glucose result or a heart rate means the same thing in every system. This post explains how LOINC codes are built, how LOINC differs from SNOMED CT and CPT, where it is required, and why nursing documentation depends on it.