Chair:  @Julie James

Scribe: @Julie James 

Attendees

Attendee type:

H - HTA Member

O - observer

L - liaison

Presence:

P - present

A - Apologies

Name

Affiliation

H


Heather Grain

Global eHealth Collaborative

H

P

Rob McClure

MD Partners

H

P

Jean Narcisi

American Dental Association

H

P

Julie James

Blue Wave Informatics LLP

H

P

Roel Barelds

ICT Group

HPSusan MatneyIntermountain Health
HASylvia ThunHL7 Germany

L

A

Wayne Kubick

HL7 (CTO)

L


Robert Hausam

Vocabulary Co-chair

L


Jane Millar

SNOMED International


Minutes of TC 2019-03-14 Approval as on Confluence 


Minutes approved.

This is to approve minutes via general consent. "You have received the minutes. Are there any corrections to the minutes? (pause) Hearing none, if there are no objections, the minutes are approved as printed."


Agenda Topics

Agenda Outline

Agenda Item

Meeting Minutes from Discussion

Management Minutes Approval
TopicCharacteristics of Realm Transferable Standards Specifications

Update (JMJ)

HTA will be mentioned on the PSS as interested parties so we will be consulted as the project progresses.

TopicHL7 Terminology Portal 

Next two code systems to be worked on

JMJ to get a template page and which we can fill out for the remaining code systems

Why are we providing this information?  To provide an inventory of correct "standard" information for code systems that may be used in HL7 specifications/health information exchange.  There is a technical need for this - for example providing the OIDs and URLs for code systems.

On the governance side, should we be recommending particularly code systems for use?  Maybe a star system (5 stars - great....)?

RB: DICOM, SM: Nursing, JMJ: EDQM, MedDRA, ATC etc.

TopicNew S-I Collaboration Agreement - to be carried forward to next meeting

Review of the agreement; any changes to be made

http://www.hl7.org/documentcenter/public_temp_33BC7CE3-1C23-BA17-0C8EB47075B9F62D/mou/IHTSDO_CharterAgreement.pdf

TopicPublication of HTA Policies

See HTA Policy Pages HTA Process and Policy Documents

Email sent to Austin Kreisler, TSC Chair, to inform all co-chairs

Julie will attend a TSC TC to present the HTA document "General policy on the use of external code systems"

We have received comments from SGB related to the "Publication of Policy on Retired or Legacy HL7 Code Systems".  Julie will need to attend the SGB with Carol M (Vocab co-chair) to "defend" the document.  Note that the issue of legacy HL7 code systems came to HTA first from the community, and has an impact on external code systems since these are the best source of domain specific code systems.

RMcC: Vocab WG is focused on "technology" and not governance of good terminology practice within HL7 standards; e.g. expectations of how to identify versions of value sets and code systems (tactical).  Domain experts have to decide content to use in specifications.  Policy statements are not what Vocab has tended to do.

The HL7 Community view HTA as the body that should set policy and governance for "terminology", not just external terminology as currently stated in the GOM and brings things such as the legacy code system issue to HTA (rather than Vocab).  SGB and TSC and ultimately the HL7 Board need to be clear as to good terminology practice and who has general terminology policy and governance responsibility within HL7 and make sure that whoever they say has it, actions it.

Julie also to reach out to Carol in advance of the meeting with SGB.

TopicHTA Confluence Site

Continuing the site clean-up and removing duplicate information.

Should not have any Word documents; have all information as Confluence pages.  Folk can download the content of a Confluence page as a Word document if they need to for any reason.

 Adjournment

Europe changes to summer time this weekend.  This means that HTA calls will now be back to 4pm EST; 10pm/9pm will stay in Europe/UK. 

Adjourned at 22.02 UTC.


1 Comment

  1. Wayne Kubick

    FYI - the SGB discussed the proposed HTA policies sent by Julie yesterday.  I've copied the (unapproved) minutes of the dialogue below:

    1. Julie James has forwarded to policy statements to TSC that should also be reviewed by SGB for precepts and a recommendation to the TSC regarding adoption: 
      1. Policy statement on use of retired or Legacy HL7 Code Systems
        1. Discussion over the Vocabulary WG establishing policy - is that appropriate? HTA should have the governance role with the WG recommending the policy to HTA. Vocabulary is a methodology group so they do set some kinds of rules. Defining it is one thing but enforcing it is another. 
        2. The opening sentence states that this is also put forth by HTA. The HTA is supposed to focus on external vocabulary.
        3. This is saying when we retire a code systems, we don't take them away from the world, we just don't use them in new material. Lorraine wonders why you wouldn't deprecate content in those code systems. 
        4. If we're publishing it and people are using it, we can say that we're not encouraging people to use the code set, but why wouldn't we maintain it? Need a mechanism to advise people that they should update their specifications/IGs to current code systems.
        5. Does this mean we're going to have standards that we believe are still active pointing to code systems that we won't maintain? Maybe first bullet should say that implementers must establish a plan to move to the new codes. 
        6. This set of policy suggestions is about the use and implementation. 
          • ACTION: Russ to reach out to Carol Macumber to see if she and Julie can join an upcoming SGB call.
        7. What is our declared or implied contract with our membership/implementers regarding maintaining our standards? Shouldn't just abandon something that people are using. What is our responsibility? We develop and publish under agreed processes, we continue or withdraw under an agreed process. Typically if we think a community is still using something, we have a tendency to maintain it. But do we maintain things forever, and if not how do you manage the transition?
        8. This is related to the agile standards work that is going on. The Board wants to see us get away from perpetually supporting everything. 
        9. Could easily provide migration advice - that's what is missing here. 
      2.  General policy on the use of external code systems in HL7 standards
        1. This one is from HTA and we are simply informed