HL7 Pilot Membership to Improve EMR Software Standards

Earlier this month, Health Level Seven (HL7) launched a new pilot membership program to encourage health caregivers to actively participate in the development of EMR software standards.  The membership program gives physicians and nurses the opportunity to share their knowledge and experience with health information technology standards that will, in turn, improve the quality of the patient-centered healthcare system.

Not-for-profit organization Health Level 7 International develops ANSI standards for the integration and exchange of electronic health information.  The goal of setting standards for electronic medical record software is to improve workflow and reduce ambiguity of information among healthcare providers,  the government, EMR vendors and patients.  The practical value of the standards set by HL7 is dependent upon caregiver membership in this pilot program.

According to the press release, health caregivers include physicians, nurses, pharmacists and all those who actively engage in patient care.  “Caregivers joining HL7 under this pilot program should be interested in actively sharing clinical requirements for standards needed to support an increasingly patient-centered healthcare system,” said HL7 CEO Charles Jaffe, MD, PhD, “and in having access to information and trends currently affecting both the industry and Caregiver practices.”

The perks of participation membership for caregivers include having their voice be heard regarding the practicality of adopted standards, an improved quality of EMR technology, an increased knowledge of current and upcoming health information technology as well as networking opportunities with other HL7 members.  “These clinicians are best suited to provide input about the usability, interface design, and workflow demands of electronic health records," said Jaffe.  The annual membership fee for HL7’s caregiver pilot program is $100.  Additional information about membership can be found at hl7.org by clicking on “Join HL7”.