RALS™ Lexicon
Jump to an alphabetical heading on this page:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
The following terminology is used throughout the RALS™ SYSTEM:
A
Accession
Within the RALS™ SYSTEM, the accession refers to the order. In an unsolicited environment, the accession is used to store the order number returned after the result was received and successfully processed by the LIS. The RALS™ SYSTEM also uses the accession to store the order number sent by the device for the evaluator to use for order matching in a solicited environment.
Activate
Activating a record in the RALS™ SYSTEM changes the status to active. An active record can be used by the system and viewed by the system users.
Synonym: Restore
ADT
Admission, Discharge, Transfer; ADT is a type of HL7 message usually coming from a hospital information system (HIS) used to provide all of the information about patients and their admission and location status to all information systems handling electronic health records (EHR) on an enterprise network.
AMR
Analytic Measurement Range; AMR is the range of analyte values that a method can directly measure on the specimen without any dilution, concentration, or other pretreatment not part of the usual assay process.
C
Clone
Clone is a function that allows a RALS™ SYSTEM user to replicate an existing record.
Synonyms: Copy; Duplicate
Critical Values
Critical values are values that are outside the normal range to a degree that may constitute an immediate health risk to the individual or require immediate action on the part of the healthcare provider.
D
Dashboard
The dashboard is a central hub that can be configured with widgets and summarized information.
Data Table
A data table is a collection of fields and data within the RALS™ SYSTEM. Most data tables can be configured and displayed in views.
Synonym: Grid
Deactivate
Deactivating a record in the RALS™ SYSTEM removes the active status, and the record can no longer be used by the system. Deactivated records can be reactivated.
Synonym: Remove
Delete
Deleting a record removes it completely from the RALS™ SYSTEM. Deleted records cannot be restored.
Synonym: Purge
Device
Generally, a device is an instrument or a manual test appliance used to produce a test result that is either transmitted to the RALS™ SYSTEM or manually entered. In the Results data table, the Device refers to the particular device (identified by name and/or serial number) that created the referenced result.
Synonyms: Analyzer; Instrument; Machine; Meter
Download Points
Download points are used to map network addresses to locations in the RALS™ SYSTEM. When a new device appears from a network address configured in a download point, that device is automatically assigned the RALS™ SYSTEM location configured in that download point.
E
Evaluation Criteria
Evaluation criteria are rules set up for results to get processed by the RALS™ SYSTEM.
Evaluator
The evaluator is the RALS™ SYSTEM component that processes and flags results utilizing the evaluation criteria that has been defined by the organization for the result’s device type and location.
F
Firmware
Device software that is updated by the device manufacturer. Some devices allow for remote firmware updates in the RALS™ SYSTEM.
Flag Configuration
Flag configuration allows the user to choose which of the result flags will cause patient results to be held for further review and which will allow patient results to be automatically sent outbound.
Synonym: Flag Sets
Flags
The RALS™ SYSTEM will apply a flag to a result to indicate that result’s condition; for patient results, flags can be used to hold the result from automatically transferring outbound.
H
HIS
Hospital Information System; the HIS is an element of health informatics that focuses mainly on the administrational needs of hospitals. From the point of view of the RALS™ SYSTEM, the HIS is the source of most, if not all, patient ADT messages.
History
The History is a record of changes made to records within the RALS™ SYSTEM.
HL7
Health Level 7; HL7 refers to a set of international standards for transfer of clinical and administrative data between software applications used by healthcare providers.
I
Institution
Institutions and locations sub-divide the RALS™ SYSTEM to provide granular compartmentalization of data and settings. Institutions and locations have a parent-child relationship; institutions are parents to locations.
L
Levey-Jennings
Levey-Jennings allows users in the RALS™ SYSTEM to designate specific devices, material lots, and parameters for which quality control results are charted using the associated ranges within a specified period.
Synonym: LJ
Linearity
Linearity is the testing of materials of known concentration in the same manner as patient specimens to assure the test system is accurately measuring samples throughout the reportable range.
Synonym: Calibration Verification
LIS
Laboratory Information System; the LIS is a software system that records, manages, and stores data for clinical laboratories.
LMS
Learning Management System; the LMS is a software system that records, manages, and stores data for training and competency.
Location
Institutions and locations sub-divide the RALS™ SYSTEM to provide granular compartmentalization of data and settings. Institutions and locations have a parent-child relationship; locations are children to institutions. Devices are assigned to locations. An Assigned Location is the location used for results from the device. A Download Location is the location of the device session, based on the download point.
Synonyms: Station; Unit; Workstation
Lot
The lot is an identifier assigned to a particular quantity or batch of materials by the manufacturer.
M
Manual Test Entry
Results can be added manually for device types where manual test entry through the RALS™ SYSTEM is enabled. Some devices (e.g., Nova StatStrips) allow pre-configured manual test results to be entered in the device and uploaded to the RALS™ SYSTEM.
Synonym: MTE
Material
Materials in the RALS™ SYSTEM represent supplies used to run results and perform quality control on devices. Materials can include different levels of Quality Control (QC), reagent/carrier (such as strip or cartridge), proficiency samples, and linearity or calibration-verification levels.
Synonym: Consumable
MIG
Multi-Instrument Gateway; the MIG is the component of the RALS™ SYSTEM responsible for handling and validating communication with devices connected to the RALS™ SYSTEM, sending them configuration information (location, patient, operator, and reagent lists, etc.), and adding result data.
O
Operator
Operators represent both users of the RALS™ SYSTEM and users of devices connected to the RALS™ SYSTEM.
P
Parameter
A parameter is the substance or element in the sample of which presence or concentration is being tested.
Synonyms: Analyte; Value Type
PPID
Positive Patient Identification; within the RALS™ SYSTEM, PPID refers to the process that ensures that the correct patient is matched to the correct result. In a larger context, PPID typically begins with scanning or entering the patient’s ID, and concludes with the operator verifying secondary patient information such as alternate ID, last name, date of birth, gender, and assigned location.
Synonyms: EPID; Patient Validation
Proficiency
Proficiency is the testing of unknown samples sent to a laboratory by an approved proficiency testing program and compared against expected values.
Synonyms: External Quality Assurance Program (EQAP); Interlaboratory Comparison; PT; Survey
R
Reagent
In the RALS™ SYSTEM, a reagent refers to the strip or cartridge used in testing.
Synonym: Media
Reportable Range
The reportable range is the functional range of an assay over which the concentration of an analyte can be measured with acceptable accuracy and precision. The reportable range can be set to be less than the limits of the analytical measurement range, but cannot exceed it.
Respiratory Setup
Respiratory setup is used to facilitate a respiratory therapy workflow within the RALS™ SYSTEM. For devices that support respiratory therapy, the result can be edited to capture additional respiratory parameters (based on the selected setup) as part of the result.
Review
When an operator performs a review, the RALS™ SYSTEM captures a record containing information about the reviewer and an optional reviewer comment.
Roles
Roles define specific user permissions within the RALS™ SYSTEM.
S
Sample ID
The sample ID is the identifier entered, usually on the device, for a result. In the RALS™ SYSTEM, a sample ID can represent a material lot, a patient ID, or an order ID.
Synonym: Patient/Lot
Sample Type
The sample type refers to the type of result for the instrument supported by the RALS™ SYSTEM. Sample types include Patient, Control, Linearity, Proficiency, and Calibration/Verification.
Synonym: Run Type
Solicited Interface
In a solicited interface, the order is placed before the test is performed; the result is transferred with a known order.
Specimen Site
A specimen site refers to the anatomical location from which the specimen type is collected in point-of-care testing. Examples: Aorta; Femoral, Left; Finger, Right; Pulmonary Artery
Synonym: Sample Site
Specimen Type
A specimen type refers to the biological material collected for point-of-care testing. Examples: Arterial; Capillary; Cord; Venous; Whole Blood
Status
A status reflects the current state of individual components in the RALS™ SYSTEM, such as Windows services running on the server (e.g. MIG, Evaluator) and automated processes (e.g. Recertification, LDAP Sync, LMS Sync).
T
Transfer
Transfer means to send a result to a LIS/HIS/other system to become part of the EMR/EHR.
U
Unit of Measure
A system of establishing units or parts of quantities of substances, including standards of mass or volume.
Examples: kPa; mg/dL; mL/dL; mmHg; mmol/L
Unsolicited Interface
In an unsolicited interface, the test is performed before the order is placed; the result is transferred without an order, and the receiving system then creates order.
Synonyms: Result-Order Processing; ROP
V
View
A view is a preset or saved display of a data table. Most data tables have one or more system views. Views can also be created, configured, and shared by users with appropriate permission levels.
W
Widget
A widget displays a count or sum of data and may appear as a chart, data table, or number. Widgets can be displayed on the dashboard in the RALS™ SYSTEM.
