What Why and How to Identify Appropriate Standards

What, Why, and How to Identify Appropriate Standards? Alvin B. Marcelo Philippines

Outline What are (health informatics) standards? Why do we need (health informatics) standards? How to identify appropriate (health informatics) standards?

What are standards? a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated; "the schools comply with federal standards"; "they set the measure for all subsequent work" a technical standard is an established norm or requirement. It is usually a formal document that establishes uniform engineering or technical criteria, methods, processes and practices.

Why are standards important? So we can understand each other So we can make assumptions about another system that is using a standard So we can re-use our knowledge if we transfer to another place that uses the same standard So we can mean what we say, and say what we mean

How to identify standards in health informatics? In health informatics, we need to communicate consistently 1) we need "words" 2) we need "grammar" (rules on how to put the words together to mean something; to create a message) 3) we need rules for exchanging our messages

Words or dictionary Patient = Bệnh nhân Operation = hoạt động

Grammar (the rules for putting words together) Patient needs an operation A. Bệnh nhân cần một hoạt động B. Hoạt động cần một bệnh nhân

Rules for exchanging messages

Health Informatics Standards Words (dictionary) Grammar (rules for putting the words together to form messages) Exchange (how to transfer messages to another system) Examples: words: ICD-10, SNOMED, ICPC, ICNP grammar: XML, HL 7 exchange: HL 7, SDMX-HD