The Health Information and Quality Authority has today published guidance on classification and terminology standards for Ireland.HIQA has developed this guidance to provide the health information community with an understanding of the systems and factors which need to be considered when adopting a classification or terminology.

It is targeted principally at those responsible for developing and implementing new health information systems and eHealth applications throughout Ireland.

Professor Jane Grimson, Director of Health Information with HIQA, said: “This guidance has been developed to inform key stakeholders, such as public and private service users and healthcare providers, about the proposed future direction of terminology standards in Ireland and to encourage wider participation in standards development.”

The collection and analysis of basic clinical facts multiple times is needed from different perspectives and for different purposes across the healthcare system.

By using classifications and terminologies together, they provide the common medical language necessary for epidemiology purposes, clinical trials, bio surveillance, reimbursement and ultimately an electronic health record.

Professor Grimson concluded by saying: “The guidance is based partly on guiding principles on interoperability standards developed by the Authority. By adhering to these principles we will follow best international practice and avoid duplication of effort, while ensuring that only tried and tested standards which are already available in software products are selected for use.”
 

Further Information: 

For further information please contact: Sinead Whooley, Communications Manager, Health Information and Quality Authority, Tel: 01 814 7488/087 922 1941 or email: swhooley@hiqa.ie

Notes to the Editor: 

• In Ireland there is a clear and pressing need to develop a coherent and integrated approach to health information, based on standards and international best practice. Through its health information function, HIQA is addressing these issues and working to ensure that high quality health and social care information is available to support the delivery, planning and monitoring of services. 
• A public consultation carried out by HIQA in 2011 on eHealth identified the need for guidance documents in three areas – general interoperability standards, terminology standards and messaging standards – to ensure that important information can be exchanged electronically in a safe and efficient way.