HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt officially accepted 30 consensus standards recommended by the Healthcare IT Standards Panel for an interoperable national health information network, Health Data Management reports.
The HITSP first recommended the standards to the American Health Information Community, which then passed them on to Leavitt. The standards support the:
- HITSP Biosurveillance Interoperability Specification, which encourages the exchange of biosurveillance data among health providers and public health agencies;
- HITSP Electronic Health Interoperability Specification, which clarifies standards that support interoperable EHRs and laboratory systems; and
- HITSP Consumer Empowerment Interoperability Specification, which determines standards needed for the transfer of data between patients and providers (Health Data Management, 1/25).