Electronic Lab Reporting (ELR)

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Epidemiology and Informatics
Public Health
 
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What you need to know

​​New COVID-19 Lab Results Requirements

This document is intended to clarify the existing SARS-CoV-2 reporting requirements previously established on September 4, 2020, revised December 12, 2020, and revised again on January 20, 2022.​

​​​​Readiness to Receive Electronic Lab Reports

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has been receiving electronic lab reports (ELR) for reportable lab results from a growing list of organizations for many years. 
Public Health Data Exchange
Public Health Data Exchange

Who is eligible to participate?

Critical access hospitals and hospitals.

What is ELR?

Electronic lab reporting (ELR) is the automatic real time electronic data sharing of reportable (as required by state or local law) lab results to public health agencies.  Nebraska utilizes the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS) quickly and securely and helps eliminate the need for manual reporting. ELR offers several advantages, including reduced administrative burden of reporting and improved timeliness, accuracy, and completeness of data. This real time exchange of information is critical during public health emergencies and to be compliant with state and federal requirements.

How ELR works

NEDSS is a web-based application used by state and local public health staff for communicable disease surveillance and case management. NEDSS can accept lab reports in a variety of formats (HL7 2.3.1 and HL7 2.5.1). It has the capability to receive submissions for testing and continued submission if the test is successful.

Public Health officials are then able to initiate disease investigations, identify contaminated foods or products, implement disease control measures to stop outbreaks, and to vaccinate/treat close contacts of a patient.  ​​

Getting Started

​​Additional Resources

​​ELR is a collaborative effort between the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Council for State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE).

For more information, visit:

​Lab Data Reporting via ​​CSV or Excel files

Lab Data Reporting v​​ia HL7 Interface

​Reportable Diseases