Pathology Terminology and Information Standardisation
Vision
Australia has access to and uses standardised pathology information structures and terminologies to optimise systems for recording, decision support, communication and analysis so as to improve healthcare for the individual, the population, and the healthcare system for its practitioners and payers.
What is the Plan ?
In 2011, The National Pathology Terminology and Information Standardisation Plan was developed to standardise pathology terminology leading to limited terminology reference sets with guidelines for their use and a standard for units of measure to minimise the risks from variation in practice.
Standardised pathology information structures and terminologies allow improvement in the recording, decision support, communication and analysis of pathology. In particular the ability to provide semantic interoperability between computers enables assurance of fidelity of communication and computer aided support.
The RCPA initiated a national project with a phased approach to standardising Pathology Information, Terminology and Units; the phased projects were:
Pathology Units and Terminology Standardisation (PUTS) Project - Completed in February 2013
Pathology Information, Terminology and Units Standardisation (PITUS-14) Project - Completed in November 2014
Pathology Information, Terminology and Units Standardisation (PITUS-15-16) Project - Completed in April 2017
Pathology Information, Terminology and Units Standardisation (PITUS-18-20) Project - Completed in December 2020
Pathology Informatics (PI) Pilot 22-24 Project – Commenced in November 2022
The RCPA Standardised Pathology Informatics in Australia (SPIA) Guidelines and associated information models and terminology reference sets
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Frequently Asked Questions relating to RCPA Standardised Pathology Informatics in Australia
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