Providers could soon have a critical new tool in the quest to unify information technology standards to cut down on errors and increase efficiencies. Various IT systems currently hamper interoperability on numerous fronts, experts point out.
The National Alliance for Health Information Technology is releasing to members today a compendium of more than 450 IT standards in an effort to speed standards-based IT. The directory will become available to the public this summer.
Voluntary and mandatory standards are featured in the reference book. There are also electronic links to the corresponding standards development organizations. Detailed analyses and summaries of the standards will continue to be compiled over the next year, according to a project manager.
“Working with our members and the public, we also plan to add more national and international standards and to identify gaps and redundancies so the health care community can begin streamlining the standards development process,” said Rod Piechowski, the Alliance’s standards program manager.
