Standards – the Main Game in e-Health?

Yesterday I received notification of the following series of meetings that will be of interest to all those who have are concerned with e-health. The contents of the e-mail follows:

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‘Standards – the Main Game in eHealth’

IT-014 2007 Roadshow

Presented by Standards Australia in co-operation with

the Health Informatics Society of Australia

Standards Australia’s Health Informatics Technical Committee, IT-014, is delighted to invite you to attend their Australia wide 2007 Roadshow visiting the following cities:

Sydney.......................................... Wednesday, 4th July

Canberra........................................... Thursday, 5th July

Melbourne.......................................... Tuesday 10th July

Adelaide....................................... Wednesday 11th July

Perth................................................. Thursday 12th July

Brisbane............................................. Tuesday 31st July

Registration: 5.45pm, IT-014 Roadshow: 6pm- 7pm, followed by refreshments

Sydney only registration: 6.45pm, IT-014 Roadshow: 7pm-8pm, then refreshments

To reserve a place, visit http://www.coactive-events.com/registration.php

Every country with a major eHealth program recognises the importance of standards, and Australia is a world leader in standards development.

David Rowlands, IT-014’s Executive Chair, will be giving an update on the progress Standards Australia IT-014 will be making in eHealth in 2007-08, and inviting discussion and debate.

Discussion will canvass and confront major eHealth standards issues including: standards development; consistent implementation of standards; the relationships between Standards Australia, NEHTA, HL7 Australia and others; the role of certification; and negotiation of Australian requirements into international standards.

Involvement and contribution to forthcoming standards projects by health software developers, informaticians, project sponsors and managers, and informatics project funders are both essential and welcome in the eHealth standards arena. Successful standardisation, and the benefits it will bring, relies on the strength of such contributions.

So be at the IT-014 Roadshow and be part of the main game in eHealth.

For further information about the IT-014 Roadshow, please contact,

Hazel Condon on 0413 138 024, email hazel-at-coactive-events.com or visit www.coactive-events.com

We look forward to your involvement.

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I find it fascinating that such a roadshow has been developed and is to be delivered without the participation in and an active contribution from NEHTA. Whatever is said at the sessions one is forced to be a little uncertain as to just how closely Standards Australia and NEHTA are really working together. With the formal session only lasting about an hour it seems it might have been better to go for slightly longer and involve a wider scope of input.

While I very much agree with the sentiment “‘Standards – the Main Game in eHealth” I am forced to idly wonder just what NEHTA will make of the naming of the roadshow in these terms.

I commend prompt registration and attendance to all those interested in the matters to be discussed.

David.