Sentinel processes HL7 laboratory messages through laboratory-specific configurations for field mapping, patient matching, result extraction and disease matching.
Laboratory interpretation uses configured biomarkers or pathogens, results, test methods and specimen types, including applicable LOINC and SNOMED mappings.
Disease-specific reinfection windows inform whether incoming results relate to an existing investigation or require consideration as a separate episode. These windows are configurable to reflect the surveillance requirements of each disease.
Further laboratory information can refine an existing disease classification. A later serovar, genotype or other defining result can contribute to reclassification when the configured criteria are satisfied.
The intake workflow supports:
- Receiving messages from configured file-drop directories.
- Matching patients and detecting duplicate results.
- Considering disease-specific reinfection windows.
- Linking additional evidence to an investigation and evaluating classification.
- Routing supported processing decisions for review.
Synthetic message generation supports testing of positive, negative, multiplex, repeat-result and result-arrival scenarios. Laboratory mappings, reinfection rules and classification criteria should be validated together.