Change Requests
Submission of change requests
Requests for extensions and changes to LOINC concepts are submitted directly to the Regenstrief Institute. The Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) offers to support and coordinate the submission of change requests.
All information on submitting variation requests can be found on the following websites. Please note that in order to submit new identifiers, a range of information must be included, such as detailed descriptions of the test, packaging information and documentation, implementation aids, background information on the test kit and panel, and information on the context in which the identifier will be used. Online form
xls template for lab identifiers and other identifiers
Submission page of the Regenstrief Institute
There are several ways to submit the application:
Prerelease-Preview
Submitted change requests can be viewed in a "pre-release preview" after they have been applied for. Please note that the requested identifiers cannot be used until they are published in the next release, as changes or additions are still possible in the meantime. Exceptions are so-called "special use terms", which may be used immediately. Information on changes can be subscribed to via an RSS feed.
Publication cycles
LOINC and RELMA are updated every six months. Since mid-2021, the releases have taken place in mid-August and mid-February. Before, new versions were released in June and December.
Release notes with the most important changes are published for each release of LOINC. Changes can also be tracked in the release snapshots.
Change requests can be submitted at any time and will then be taken into account in the respective releases, depending on the urgency (Special Use Terms) and review effort.