​​​​​Laboratory Result Reporting

California Code of Regulations, Title 17, Section 2505 requires laboratories to report laboratory testing results suggestive of diseases of public health importance to the local health department. The California Reportable Disease Information Exchange (CalREDIE) system allows laboratories and other testing facilities to comply with California public health disease reporting requirements.

CalREDIE replaces traditional paper-based methods of laboratory reporting for many reportable conditions in jurisdictions throughout California. Timely reporting via phone call is still required for selected diseases and conditions, see California Code of Regulations, Title 17 Section 2505. Reportable Conditions: Notification by Laboratories (PDF)​ for details.

Requirements before results can be submitted:

• The reporting facility must have an active California state laboratory license; details on how to apply or renew a California state license are available at: Clinical and Public Health Laboratories
• The reporting facility must have an active and valid CLIA number; the CDC CLIA search tool is available here: Laboratory Search | CDC
• The reporting facility must reach out to CDPH’s lab onboarding team via email at CalREDIE_Onboarding@cdph.ca.gov to notify us of their testing status and ability to submit results. 

CDPH offers several options for submitting reportable lab results:

HL7 Reporting

Electronic Laboratory Reporting (ELR) is the electronic transmission of laboratory reports that identify a notifiable condition from laboratories and other testing facilities to public health. The CalREDIE system allows laboratories and other testing facilities to comply with California public health disease reporting requirements through an automated, secure process.

 The standard for reporting results to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) requires the use of Health Level 7 International (HL7) version 2.x messages for electronic transmission of ELR data. Health data submitted via HL7 adheres to strict standards for exchange, integration, sharing, and retrieval of electronic health information. The ELR2PH Companion Guide (link below in Resources section) contains the specifications for sending HL7 results to CalREDIE via direct interface. 

AIMS (APHL Informatics Messaging Services)

Laboratories that serve multiple states may wish to utilize the APHL Informatics Messaging Services, referred to as AIMS, which is a data transmission platform hosted and managed by the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL). A single AIMS connection can eliminate the need to build separate point to point interfaces for multiple states. For more details, please visit the AIMS platform. 

CSV Reporting

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic led to additional channels for reporting results for an extremely limited set of disease conditions. CDPH developed an alternative reporting method using the approved comma separated value (CSV) file format to accept only COVID-19, Influenza A/B results and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).

Reportables other than Covid, Influzena A&B & RSV

If site is conducting other tests that fall under California Code of Regulations, Title 17 Section 2505. Reportable Conditions: Notification by Laboratories (PDF), the site MUST report via HL7.

Variant/Whole Genome Sequencing

If a site is conducting whole genome sequence (WGS) testing, those results are reportable to CalREDIE per guidance issued in July of 2021 (link below in Resources section). Please email CalREDIE_Onboarding@cdph.ca.gov  to learn more about specifications and requirements for variant reporting.

A​dditional Reporting Options for Limited Disease Conditions

CDC’s SimpleReport

The Center for Disease Control, in partnership with the US Department of Health and Human Services and the US Digital Service, developed a free, web-based application called SimpleReport. The application currently only accepts COVID-19 and Influenza A/B  results. Via SimpleReport, results can be entered in either a CSV file or manually, a single report at a time. For more details on SimpleReport, please visit the Simple Report webpage or email CalREDIE_Onboarding@cdph.ca.gov.

SaPHIRE Portal Lab Results (SPLR) Reporting

Another option for submitters testing only COVID-19 is SaPHIRE Portal Lab Result (SPLR) Reporting. SPLR Reporting is a web-based system to report single-entry COVID-19 lab results to CalREDIE, including results for the counties of Los Angeles and San Diego. Additional information on SPLR Reporting is available by contacting CalREDIE_Onboarding@cdph.ca.gov. 

NHSN (National Healthcare Safety Network)

This is a reporting system managed by the CDC for healthcare providers, including Skilled Nursing Facilities, to track and report infections. For more details, please visit the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) National Healthcare Safety Network​ webpage. 

Fur​ther Guidance

If a facility needs guidance on what submission format to use, please contact the CalREDIE Lab Reporting Unit via email at CalREDIE_Onboarding@cdph.ca.gov  to receive assistance.
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