The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT will be clarifying its guidelines for creating standard clinical document formats, which would be used for the exchange of patient information summaries, according to a Government Health IT news report.
Currently, the guidelines for data element fields vary across clinical labs and electronic health records. The variability requires individual systems to then map or configure across each interface. The ONC's move to develop a simplified format for clinical documentation aims to smooth those exchanges. Specifically, ONC will be simplifying lab reporting to EHRs by standardizing content and vocabulary, said Doug Fridsma, director of ONC's Office of Standards and Interoperability.
The ONC will also be consolidating various organizations' advice on how to implement standard document formats into a template-based guide.
Read the news report about information exchanges.
Read other coverage about information exchanges:
- Interoperability at the Forefront of the O NC's 2011 Agenda
- 7 Ways Community and Rural Hospitals Can Achieve Meaningful Use
- 7 Accomplishments Listed by HHS for 2010
Currently, the guidelines for data element fields vary across clinical labs and electronic health records. The variability requires individual systems to then map or configure across each interface. The ONC's move to develop a simplified format for clinical documentation aims to smooth those exchanges. Specifically, ONC will be simplifying lab reporting to EHRs by standardizing content and vocabulary, said Doug Fridsma, director of ONC's Office of Standards and Interoperability.
The ONC will also be consolidating various organizations' advice on how to implement standard document formats into a template-based guide.
Read the news report about information exchanges.
Read other coverage about information exchanges:
- Interoperability at the Forefront of the O NC's 2011 Agenda
- 7 Ways Community and Rural Hospitals Can Achieve Meaningful Use
- 7 Accomplishments Listed by HHS for 2010