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Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel - Frequently Asked Questions
What is ONCHIT?
“ONCHIT” is the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.
Its mission is to implement President Bush’s vision for widespread adoption
of interoperable electronic health records (EHRs) within ten (10) years.
What is ONCHIT1?
The Evaluation of Standards Harmonization Process for Health Information Technology Program
(ONCHIT1) is one of a series of Request for Proposals (RFPs) issued by the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services on June 6, 2005. The intent of ONCHIT1 is to bring together
organizations with a stake in health data standards to develop a healthcare
information technology (HIT) standards harmonization process.
What is Standards Harmonization Collaborative?
The Standards
Harmonization Collaborative is a cooperative effort of eighteen (18) independent
entities that became involved in developing a response to the ONCHIT1 RFP.
What is the Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel?
One of the recommendations submitted by the Standards Harmonization Collaborative in
its response to the ONCHIT1 RFP was the establishment of a Healthcare Information
Technology Standards Panel (HITSP). The Panel’s objective is to achieve widely accepted and
readily-implemented consensus-based standards that will enable and support widespread
interoperability among healthcare information technology, especially as they would interact in a
Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN) for the United States.
The HITSP will be called upon to
identify, prioritize and promote relevant standards using patient-focused
(“use-case”) scenarios. In fact, within
30 days of award of the ONCHIT1 contract, an initial set of three use-cases
must be submitted to DHHS.
How much does it cost to belong to the HITSP?
Initially, HITSP start-up expenses will be borne
by the contract award and there will be no participation or membership
fee. However, under the terms of the
RFP, within its first year of existence the members of the HITSP must develop a
business model that will sustain the Panel for a minimum of six years . . .
well beyond the terms of the initial three-year contract award.
Who can join the HITSP?
The HITSP will reach across the stakeholder community and facilitate the broadest possible
participation of all affected parties. This is why membership on the Panel is open to groups
within any of four major categories: standards development organizations (SDOs);
non-SDO stakeholder organizations; governmental bodies and consumers.
Will there be other opportunities for involvement?
There will be numerous opportunities for materially interested and affected parties
to participate. As an example, the Technical Committees are working on defining criteria and
relative merits of use-cases. To volunteer, please contact Kimberly Ingram,
HIMSS manager of standards harmonization (kingram@himss.org).
Why should my organization join now instead of waiting to see if the HITSP
achieves anything?
The earlier an organization joins, the sooner it can begin contributing to
the development of the nation’s new integrated health data network.
Who runs the HITSP?
The Panel has been established under the sponsorship of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI),
and will operate with a neutral and inclusive governance model.
A Board of Directors representing each of the various interest bodies was elected at the first meeting.
Dr. John Halamka, Chief Information Officer of Harvard Medical School, has been selected as the HITSP Chair.
Who do I contact to ask more questions?
For questions regarding the formation and/or governance
of the HITSP, contact Fran Schrotter, ANSI Senior Vice President and Chief
Operating Officer (fschrott@ansi.org;
1.212.642.4934), or Carla Smith, HIMSS Executive Vice President (csmith@himss.org; 1.734.973.6116 x109).
For questions regarding the technical approach to harmonizing standards, contact Jessica Kant, HIMSS coordinator of standards harmonization (jkant@himss.org).
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