Norwegian Laboratory Codebook (NLK) - FHIR Implementation Guide
0.2.2 - ci-build Norway flag

Norwegian Laboratory Codebook (NLK) - FHIR Implementation Guide - Downloaded Version 0.2.2 See the Directory of published versions

Home

Official URL: http://hl7.no/fhir/ig/nlk-test/ImplementationGuide/hl7.fhir.no.nlk-test Version: 0.2.2
Draft as of 2025-09-24 Computable Name: NlkTest

Norwegian Laboratory Codebook (NLK) - FHIR Implementation Guide

Welcome to the FHIR Implementation Guide for the Norsk Laboratoriekodeverk (NLK) - Norway's comprehensive laboratory terminology standard.

Purpose

This Implementation Guide publishes the Norwegian Laboratory Codebook as a standardized FHIR R4 CodeSystem, enabling Norwegian healthcare systems to use consistent, interoperable laboratory terminology across different platforms and vendors.

The NLK CodeSystem provides a complete, authoritative terminology for laboratory medicine in Norway, covering all major medical domains with 11,391 unique laboratory codes.

CodeSystem Structure

The following diagram illustrates the core structure of the Norwegian Laboratory Codebook as a FHIR CodeSystem:

 

NLK CodeSystem Overview

 

Figure 1: Norwegian Laboratory Codebook CodeSystem structure showing the relationship between FHIR base classes, medical domains, and laboratory concepts.

For a comprehensive technical view including all FHIR integration patterns and Norwegian healthcare context, see the Technical Architecture page.

Key Features

🧬 Comprehensive Coverage

  • Complete terminology: All Norwegian laboratory codes in one standardized format
  • Cross-domain: Covers six major medical specialties
  • Version controlled: Traceable to official NLK version 7280.77
  • Quality assured: Deduplicated and validated for FHIR compliance

📊 Medical Domains Covered

  • Medisinsk biokjemi (Medical Biochemistry) - 2,881 codes
  • Immunologi og transfusjonsmedisin (Immunology & Transfusion Medicine) - 3,231 codes
  • Medisinsk mikrobiologi (Medical Microbiology) - 2,547 codes
  • Klinisk farmakologi (Clinical Pharmacology) - 2,642 codes
  • Medisinsk genetikk (Medical Genetics) - 67 codes
  • Patologi (Pathology) - 27 codes

🔧 Technical Standards

  • FHIR R4 compliant: Full compliance with HL7 FHIR Release 4
  • Norwegian context: Built on hl7.fhir.no.basis foundation
  • Active maintenance: 9,679 currently active codes, 1,712 historical codes
  • Standardized format: Clean FSH implementation for reliable integration

Primary Use Cases

Laboratory Information Systems (LIS) Integration

Enable Norwegian laboratory systems to:

  • Standardize code usage across different LIS vendors
  • Ensure consistent terminology in laboratory reports
  • Support interoperability between hospital and external lab systems
  • Facilitate data exchange with national health registries

Electronic Health Record (EHR) Systems

Support Norwegian EHR implementations by:

  • Providing standardized lab codes for observation and diagnostic reporting
  • Enabling semantic interoperability between different EHR systems
  • Supporting clinical decision support with consistent terminology
  • Facilitating research and analytics with standardized data coding

National Health Data Exchange

Enable Norwegian healthcare data exchange through:

  • Consistent laboratory terminology across healthcare regions
  • Support for national reporting requirements and quality indicators
  • Integration with existing Norwegian health data standards
  • Compliance with national interoperability frameworks

Research and Analytics

Support healthcare research and quality improvement by:

  • Providing standardized datasets for epidemiological studies
  • Enabling cross-institutional laboratory data analysis
  • Supporting quality metrics and benchmarking initiatives
  • Facilitating international research collaboration with FHIR-compatible data

Getting Started

  1. Browse the CodeSystem: Explore the Norwegian Laboratory Codebook CodeSystem
  2. Technical Architecture: View the detailed Technical Architecture with complete system diagrams
  3. View all artifacts: See the complete Artifacts list
  4. ​Implementation guidance: Read the Implementation Notes
  5. ​Download resources: Access FHIR resources in the Downloads section

Status

🚧 Experimental Release - This Implementation Guide is currently in experimental status for evaluation and testing within the Norwegian healthcare ecosystem.

Contact

For questions about this Implementation Guide or the Norwegian Laboratory Codebook terminology:

  • Publisher: Espen
  • Source: Generated from official Norsk Laboratoriekodeverk 7280.77.xlsx
  • Repository: GitHub - nlk-test
  • Last Updated: September 24, 2025