Semantic Interoperability in Health Informatics: Lessons Learned - Panel Discussion - Thu 2008-01-10    (16CU)

Conference Call Details:    (16Q6)

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Agenda & Proceedings    (16R8)

Title: "Semantic Interoperability in Health Informatics: Lessons Learned"    (16CZ)

Abstract:    (16D4)

The issues surrounding the evolution of practical Semantic Interoperability in Health Informatics are complex, and complicated by the lack of Information Technology uptake in the Healthcare community at large. In Medical Informatics:20/20 the authors, incuding moderator Marc Wine have examined the clinical issues in depth. Marc will give us a summary in his introduction to this session.    (16I7)

Michael Cummens, MD worked on the Northrop Grumman NHIN on the Terminology Service Bureau and other semantic interoperability projects and will discuss lessons learned from this work. Mike will also discuss the specific problems of adequately translating Electronic Health Records produced by one system such as the VA or the Military Health Medcin system to another system such as Epic. Because this factor is amplified by the interoperability issues of moving data between diverse platforms and operating systems, not only must there by translation between specific applications that may or may not share common standards, but also between combinations of platforms and operating systems, exponentially enlarging the problem before considering the problems of scalability in performance across such boundaries.    (16I8)

Saul Rosenberg has developed a new concept for the diagnosis of brain injury and PTSD, and discovered along the way that he needed a new vocabulary standard. Having the opportunity to start fresh unlike a great deal of medical terminology and nomenclature developed before the widespread distribution of Information Technology, he nevertheless faces interoperability challenges. He will discuss what he has learned in exploring what will be needed to move his concept forward.    (16I9)

Rex Brooks approaches the field of Health Informatics from the IT side of these issues and is building a SOA Registry-Repository for the domain of Health Informatics that includes Service Providers, Services, Standards and Standards Development Organizations as well as guidance on how to implement Standards effectively and understand how to assess and select ontologies by groups such as the National Center for Ontological Research.    (16IA)

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