Electronic Laboratory Reporting (ELR)

New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) is capable of receiving electronic reportable lab results.

In an effort toward improving disease surveillance and timely notification of communicable disease reports for public health intervention, the NJDOH mandated electronic reporting of laboratory test results from all licensed state, commercial and hospital laboratories. Electronic laboratory reports are critical for an effective public health response both for routinely reportable diseases as well as potential bioterrorism (BT) agents.

Currently the NJDOH Electronic Laboratory Reporting System (ELRS) acts as the data repository of laboratory results and is designed to accept ELR in the CDC-recommended, PHIN-compliant (Public Health Information Network) and Promoting Interoperability ready format of Health Level 7 (HL7). The ELRS facilitates conveyance of these results to program areas via several downstream systems such as the Communicable Disease Reporting and Surveillance System (CDRSS), Enhanced HIV/AIDS Reporting System (eHARS), and CDRSS Childhood Lead.

Promoting Interoperability

The ELRS accepts laboratory results data in the HL7 2.3z, 2.3.1, and 2.5.1 message formats. To meet Promoting Interoperability, however, submission of laboratory results will need to be sent from Certified EHR Technology (CEHRT), in the HL7 2.5.1 format, and conform to the ELRS technical specifications.

In addition to HL7 2.5.1 formatting, electronic lab reporting must use the LOINC (Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes) and SNOMED (Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine) nomenclature standards. More information on these standards can be found in the ELR Onboarding Process Manual.

How To Get Started

Information regarding the registration, testing, onboarding, and transmission of electronic laboratory results can be found on the ELR Main website. Before you begin, please read through the Onboarding Process Manual for an overview of the entire Electronic Laboratory Reporting process.

NOTE: Eligible providers seeking to attest for Promoting Interoperability may print this page to support exclusions/exemptions where applicable.  NJDOH does not provide any additional documentation for attestation.

FAQs

  1. I am an Eligible Professional (EP). How do I send ELR to DOH for Promoting Interoperability?

    At this point, NJDOH is not accepting ELR from EPs. All the major commercial laboratories in New Jersey are already sending ELR to NJDOH for the reportable diseases as defined in N.J.A.C. 8:57. Providers are requested to cooperate with public health investigations by providing information to lab, state and local health department staff who investigate these reports.
Last Reviewed: 11/30/2021