The LDA Integration Profile supports the workflow for the automated technical section of the clinical laboratory. It provides the transactions between the actors of this section (Automation Managers, Pre/Post-processors, Analyzers) to fulfill the Work Orders sent by the Order Filler, and send back the results produced for these Work Orders. <p>This LDA profile strictly addresses the workflow between Automation Managers and Laboratory Devices (LD) operated by the clinical laboratory staff. Devices operated by the clinical ward staff, are supported by another profile: LPOCT, and are therefore out of scope of LDA. <p>The input to the LDA workflow is a Work Order generated by the Order Filler. The Automation Manager splits this Wok Order into a sequence of one or more Work Order Steps (WOS), sending each one to a particular automated device. <p>Among this sequence, the particular WOS that instructs the Analyzer to fulfill the clinical tests is called the Analytical Work Order Step (AWOS). The transaction carrying this AWOS instructs the analyzer to perform a list of tests on a particular specimen. It does not say how to perform them: The electromechanical handling of an analyzer is out of scope of this profile. <p>The tests are performed on specimen collected from the patients. The specimen may arrive on an automated device before or after the WOS referring to it has been delivered. In both cases, the specimen and the WOS (instruction) must be both present on the device in order for the step to be performed. <p> This LDA profile also addresses the testing of QC specimen on an Analyzer, and the upload of QC results from the Analyzer to the AM. An Analyzer can fulfill both patient specimen AWOS and QC specimen AWOS. The LSWF profile supports the upload of QC results from the AM to the Order Filler. Thus the combination of both profiles enables the centralization of QC results of all the Analyzers of the clinical laboratory, on the Laboratory Information System. <p>In some situations, the recognition of the specimen (by its ID or position) or the WOS content can be entered manually on the LD user interface. <p>For the purpose of messaging, the identification of specimen is essential. <p>The primary specimen ID is provided either by the Order Placer or by the Order Filler. In case a Specimen Work Order Step (SWOS) instructs an aliquoter to prepare aliquot specimen, a new ID coded on a new barcode label will be required for each aliquot produced. These IDs and labels may be provided by the Automation Manager or by the aliquoter or by a third party. The organizational details of the labeling process are out of the scope of this profile, which only recommends that barcode labels be readable (e.g. format and length of the barcode, label format) by all the LD that will perform a WOS on this specimen. <p>The profile includes the LD&apos;s ability to accept or reject a WOS, with the notice of specimen arrival to the Automation Manager. It also includes the ability of an Analyzer to modify the content of an AWOS, for instance adding automatically a new test, depending on the results obtained on the original tests. <p>The ability to automatically create modification of the work order at the AM may be constrained by regulatory requirement. <p>The exchange of code sets and associated rules is supported by another profile: LCSD. <p>Observation results tracking implies the ability of each actor (Analyzer, Automation Manager) to store the raw results, before refining or translating them, automatically or interactively (e.g. during the technical validation). This safe storage is out of the scope of this profile. <p>This LDA profile may enrich its specifications in order to integrate specific types of pre or post processing laboratory devices. The manufacturers of laboratory devices are invited by the IHE Laboratory Committee to bring their contributions to these specifications.