As part of a project for the Office of the National Coordinator to define key HIT terms, the National Alliance for Health Information Technology (NAHIT) of Chicago, with guidance from Mclean, Va.-based management and technology consulting firm, BearingPoint Inc., is seeking public input on the draft definitions developed to date.
The project team has posted a document at www.definitions.nahit.org that details the work in progress for its two work groups, which are charged with drafting definitions for five key HIT terms: electronic medical record (EMR), electronic health record (EHR), personal health record (PHR), health information exchange (HIE), and regional health information organization (RHIO).
The public comment period will last from Feb. 22 to March 3. Feedback can be submitted online and during two public forums that will be held during the annual meeting of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society in Orlando, Fla. A forum focused on the terms HIE and RHIO will be held Feb. 26 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Another forum focused on the terms EHR, EMR, and PHR will be held on Feb. 27 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
After assimilating the input from the first comment period, NAHIT says the project team plans to post an update of its work in defining the HIT terms and solicit feedback during a second public comment period.
More information about the public comment period and public forums can be found at www.definitions.nahit.org. There are no registration fees associated with providing public feedback or attending the public forums.
