At-Home Test Report (Jira PSS-1892)

There is no focused guidance describing the use of HL7 standards (V2 and FHIR) to send at home test results to local, state, territorial and federal health agencies. While most Public Health systems currently receive only V2 messages, we anticipate a near future where FHIR will be received and processed by Public Health systems. This project will examine the challenges and opportunities of FHIR vs V2 within Public Health using the implementation of the draft IG and will use the HL7 process to gain stakeholder consensus. The scope of the initial IG and that the draft IG is already being implemented in approximately 5 states will lend itself well to testing the waters of FHIR flowing into Public Health Systems.

Point-of-care (POC) and at-home tests offer increased accessibility to needed diagnostic solutions during a pandemic. Test results have value to the individual taking the tests and also to public health authorities responsible for coordinating a regional and national response. Digital platforms are being developed that allow individual test results, with permission of the individual, to be captured, organized, and transmitted to public health systems. Test manufacturers, working in partnership with these digital platforms, are seeking guidance on where to send test results. With multiple tests already entering the market, there is a need for a unified strategy on data flow of test results from the apps to downstream systems. A national data exchange standard should be supported that guides data exchange from test results residing on individual users’ digital test applications to public health authorities, at both the federal and regional levels.