1. COMMITTEE WORKING DRAFT FOR DISCUSSION 1 Recommendations for Foundations for Standards Harmonization February 27, 2006 HITSP Standards Harmonization Criteria Committee

2. COMMITTEE WORKING DRAFT FOR DISCUSSION 2 Foundation for Standards Harmonization Recommendation to HITSP to adopt a primary goal and basic set of objectives as the foundation for harmonizing healthcare standards Primary Goal –To achieve full healthcare interoperability through development of a comprehensive, integrated set of healthcare information, security and technology standards. The standards must be model-based and seamlessly and efficiently merge to support the exchange, representation, interpretation, security, and confidentiality of healthcare information.

3. COMMITTEE WORKING DRAFT FOR DISCUSSION 3 Foundation for Standards Harmonization To achieve primary goal harmonization must be achieved in five major areas –Information harmonization - establish a common reference information model (and subordinate models). –Terminology (semantic) harmonization – establish a common reference terminology model that is integrated with the information model(s). –Security harmonization - establish a common security framework. –Information exchange harmonization - establish one (or as few as possible) common information exchange format. –Establish a common methodology/process that all SDOs will follow to achieve standards harmonization that addresses the four major harmonization areas (information, terminology, security and information exchange) and that supports accomplishing the four objectives listed above.