# How to design an archetype to report a combination of different lab test results **Category:** [Clinical](https://discourse.openehr.org/c/clinical/5) **Created:** 2024-03-09 12:27 UTC **Views:** 338 **Replies:** 8 **URL:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/how-to-design-an-archetype-to-report-a-combination-of-different-lab-test-results/5010 --- ## Post #1 by @Aga I want to design an archetype which provides an evaluation to the user based on several lab test results. I want to reuse exisiting archetypes for this purpose. I have two approches and I need to know which one is more suitable and correct: Approach A : Use **Laboratory test result** archetype and its 'Test result' attribute will contain the openEHR-EHR-CLUSTER.laboratory_test_analyte.v1. Since in my scenario it contains multiple lab test results, openEHR-EHR-CLUSTER.laboratory_test_analyte.v1 will be repeated inside Laboratory test result*. Approach B: Use **Laboratory test result** archetype and its 'Test result' attribute will contain the openEHR-EHR-CLUSTER.laboratory_test_analyte.v1. But it will use **only one instance** of openEHR-EHR-CLUSTER.laboratory_test_analyte.v1. That instance will contain all the lab test results. Guide me to select the best approach. --- ## Post #2 by @ian.mcnicoll Almost certainly option 1 and carry your summary in the laboratory test. Can you tell us what the analytes are? --- ## Post #3 by @Aga Thank you for your reply. These are the analytes : * urine potassium * serum potassium * urine osmolality * serum osmolality --- ## Post #4 by @siljelb I generally agree with @ian.mcnicoll's response. Although I'd consider making a separate instance of the OBSERVATION.laboratory_test_result per specimen type. --- ## Post #5 by @Aga Thank you for your answers. This is the reason behind option 2. ![image|690x454](upload://hfL33B8NwewvQESHaxXhINeXiza.png) The Analyt result attribute accepts data belongs to any data type . Further I can repeate the results. So I thought to add 4 Quantity type attributes to represent the above test results. Can you please elaborate why do you think that option 1 is more suitable than option 2. So that I can get to know about my mistake. --- ## Post #6 by @ian.mcnicoll I agree with @siljelb but it really depends on how data is being captured and reported. Typically i would expect the urine tests and bood results to be ordered and reported separately. There are some tests which combine urine and blood specimens but i dont sense this is your example. Thiis all assumes that you are capturing the data via lab messages. If you are assuming direct manual data entry then option 2 might be more reasonable but Id probably still use option 1 to future proof a little. --- ## Post #7 by @pablo I would use the analyte for individual results, the analyte name would be a coded text to identify the type of result and the analyte result would be the value (quantity, count, coded, boolean, etc). Then we can use a CLUSTER to group analyte results into batteries/panels (see https://loinc.org/24357-6/). Another option would be to use an OBSERVATION as a battery/panel. That might depend on how information is recorded or reported. --- ## Post #8 by @ian.mcnicoll In the vast majority of lab use-cases, the Lab test observation works fine as a container but we do have a specific archetype for Urinalysis (which is usually a bedside test, not lab reported). https://ckm.openehr.org/ckm/archetypes/1013.1.150 --- ## Post #9 by @Aga I didn't know about this. Thanks for sharing @ian.mcnicoll --- **Canonical:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/how-to-design-an-archetype-to-report-a-combination-of-different-lab-test-results/5010 **Original content:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/how-to-design-an-archetype-to-report-a-combination-of-different-lab-test-results/5010