Related Links

Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise, a decade-old industry collaborative that has formed a framework of profiles for health information technology interoperability, has started a pilot test to ballot its profiles through the process of Health Level Seven International.

The organizations, both international in scope, announced the new initiative during HIMSS13 in New Orleans. They have previously collaborated since 2005 to avoid conflict and duplication of their standards-setting initiatives.

Under the pilot, IHE will submit a small number of its interoperability profiles for balloting through the HL7 Structured Documents Group. “The pilot will be used to assess the feasibility of balloting other IHE profiles based on HL7 standards and potentially jointly publishing them as implementation guides,” according to the announcement.

IHE focuses on interoperability challenges in such areas as anatomic pathology, cardiology, radiology, radiation oncology, eye care, I.T. infrastructure, laboratory, care coordination, patient care devices, quality, research and public health.