An Invitation to Offer Feedback on Draft
Electronic Health Record Standards

What
The EHR Collaborative sponsored a series of open forum meetings across the country in August that we believe you and others from your organization will find very important.

Final Report: Public Response to HL7 EHR Ballot 1
The input from the August open forum meetings has been synthesized into a report which you can access here. Through coordination with HL7, some of the findings have helped shape the design and substance of the second EHR ballot which is under development.

Several files are attached to accommodate different internet connection speeds and file formats. Please select the one of your preference.
Click here for the final report: Adobe Acrobat version (file size: 1.3 m)
Click here for final report: zip file – Adobe Acrobat version (file size: 888 kb)
Click here for final report: WORD document (file size: 855 kb)
Click here for final report: zip file – WORD document (file size: 114 kb)

Why
These forums have served as an opportunity for you to provide input into fast-moving advances toward the development of a functional model and standards for the electronic health record (EHR). While work on such standards has a rich tradition and has been unfolding in an evolutionary sense, what is now different is the level of support and encouragement for such standards at the national level and by key federal agencies and the immediacy with which this work is being urged forward.

On July 1 of this year, Tommy G. Thompson, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) announced that the Department has asked two prestigious organizations, the Institute of Medicine and Health Level 7 (HL7), to design a standard for electronic health records (EHR). This fast-tracked project is to report to DHHS by September 1, 2003. The model and standards will be used in demonstration projects in the coming year and will have far reaching impact on the entire health care community, ranging from large enterprises to individual practices.

The open forum meetings were designed to gather feedback on the EHR model and standards being developed by HL7 before they are delivered to DHHS. The agenda for the forums will include an overview of the draft HL7 model and its implications and will provide an opportunity for gathering comment. Participant feedback will be compiled in a summary report for HL7 and DHHS. A copy of the report will also be available for public review.

Developing an effective, universally accepted EHR model requires input from the end-users, those who manage the technology and information content, and those who will invest in its acquisition, implementation and maintenance. It is for this reason that the collaborating organizations are working to compile broad-based input from users to support and strengthen the work of HL7, educate the industry, build consensus, and facilitate adoption.

When and Where
The open forum meetings were held in the following locations:

Monday August 11: Chicago
NEW LOCATION
UBS Tower
One North Wacker Drive
2nd Floor
Chicago, IL 60606

Wednesday August 13: Seattle
University of Washington
Magnuson Health Sciences Center
Hogness Auditorium. Room: A-420
1705 NE Pacific Street
Seattle, WA. 98195

Friday August 15: Los Angeles
UCLA - Northwest Campus
Covel Commons in Sunset Village
Grand Horizon Room
330 DeNeve Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1492
(310) 206-9633

Monday August 18: Boston
Massachusetts Medical Society
860 Winter Street
Waltham Woods Corporate Center
Waltham, MA 02451-1411
(800) 322-2303

Tuesday August 19: Atlanta
D. Abbott Turner Center
1703 Clifton Rd., NE
Atlanta, GA 30329-4044
(734) 973-6116. ext. 115 (Pam Brewer)

Wednesday August 20: Dallas
Baylor University Medical Center
Tom Landry Fitness Center
Classrooms A, B & C
411 N. Washington Street
Dallas, TX 75246
(214) 820-7870

Forum Sponsors:
· American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)
· American Medical Association (AMA)
· American Nurses Association (ANA)
· American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA)
· College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME)
· eHealth Initiative (eHI)
· Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS)
· National Alliance for Health Information Technology (NAHIT)

These organizations represent key stakeholders including practicing clinicians, payers, purchasers, researchers, healthcare providers, IT suppliers, information and technology managers, accrediting groups, public health organizations, manufacturers, and public sector partners. The goal of this Collaborative is to facilitate rapid input from the healthcare community in this and other development initiatives that advance the adoption of information standards for healthcare.