Concepts/Observation Definition

conceptdefinitionsCARE 3.0+

Definition

An observation definition in Care is a reusable template for one laboratory test or clinical test. The template records what the test measures and the type of value that a result holds. It also records the rules that Care uses to flag a result as normal or abnormal. Your facility creates each observation definition one time. Staff then use the template for every result of that test.

Key Attributes

Components	What it captures
Title	The name of the test that staff see in Care. This attribute is required.
Slug	A short unique name for the test. Care builds the slug from the title, and you can change it. This attribute is required.
Description	A short explanation of what the test measures. This attribute is required.
Status	The stage of the template, from first draft to retirement. This attribute is required. Care selects Active for a new template.
Category	The type of service that the test belongs to, such as Laboratory or Vital Signs. This attribute is required.
LOINC Code	The standard LOINC code of the test. This attribute is required.
Data Type	The kind of value that a result holds, for example a number or a yes or no answer. This attribute is required.
Unit	The unit of measure for the result, for example millimoles per litre. This attribute is optional.
Body Site	The part of the body that the test examines. This attribute is optional.
Method	The technique that staff use to do the test. This attribute is optional.
Components	The separate parts of a test that gives more than one value. This attribute is optional.
Observation Interpretation	The rules that Care uses to flag each result. This attribute is optional.

Data Type

The data type sets the kind of value that staff can record. Care has these data types:

Boolean
Decimal
Integer
DateTime
Time
String
Quantity

Components

Some tests give more than one value. Blood pressure is an example, because it gives a systolic value and a diastolic value. For a test of this type, add one component for each value. Each component has its own code, data type, unit, and interpretation rules.

Observation Interpretation

Observation Interpretation holds the qualified ranges of the test. Each rule has a title, conditions, value ranges, and an optional fallback. Care checks the rules in the order that you add them. Care skips a rule when the conditions do not match the patient or the encounter.

For a rule that matches, Care flags the result with the interpretation of the range that holds the value. If no range holds the value, Care uses the fallback of that rule. If that rule has no fallback, Care checks the next rule. For more detail, see Set up qualified ranges.

📝 Note

You can add interpretation rules to the observation definition, or to its components. You cannot add rules to both.

Scope

An observation definition can belong to one facility. Staff at that facility can then use the template. A Care superuser can also share an observation definition with every facility.

Status

Status	Description
Draft	You still prepare the template.
Active	Staff can use the template for results.
Retired	The template is out of use. Care keeps it for the results that already use it.
Unknown	The stage of the template is not known.

Pages that link here:

Concept: Concepts/Service Request
Reference: References/Value Set