The Laboratory Data Sharing and Interoperability (LDSI) application supports the electronic order entry and real-time lab results retrieval between DoD, VA, and commercial reference laboratories.  LDSI provides laboratory order portability between DoD/VA sites that have local sharing agreements for laboratory services.

The goals of the project are:

1. To share/coordinate resources to reduce costs and redundancies while increasing efficiencies within the two organizations 
2. Facilitate electronic exchange of patient information between DoD and VA to enhance patient care delivery

LDSI supports laboratory order and results retrieval for chemistry and hematology laboratory tests.  As part of VA and DoD's joint work pursuant to the 2003 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Demonstration Site provisions, VA and DoD have worked to enhance LDSI to support anatomic pathology and microbiology labs.  This work is taking place at the El Paso and San Antonio NDAA sites.  Initial testing of the enhanced capability has been successful.

In addition to El Paso and San Antonio where the LDSI enhancement work is taking place, LDSI for chemistry labs is operational at several locations, including Tripler Army Medical Center/VA Pacific Island Health Care System; Naval Hospital Great Lakes/North Chicago VA Medical Center; Bassett Army Community Hospital/VA Alaska Health Care System; Mike O'Callaghan Federal Hospital/VA Southern Nevada Health Care System; William Beaumont Army Medical Center/El Paso VA Health Care System; Naval Hospital Pensacola/VA Gulf Coast Health Care System; Naval Medical Center San Diego/VA San Diego Health Care System; San Antonio: Brooke Army Medical Center/VA South Texas Health Care System; and North Central Federal Hospital/Wilford Hall Medical Center. LDSI is available for implementation across both the VA and DoD enterprises wherever the business case (i.e., sharing agreement) exist.