HL7 Terminology Authority Conference call
Thursday June 5, 2014
4 pm ET

Attendees:

Members:Heather Grain, Julie James, Jean Narcisi, Rob McClure
Regrets: Jos Baptist, Sandy Stuart
Observers:
Secretariat: Karen Van Hentenryck

Draft Agenda

  1. Roll call, establish quorum, review agenda– Heather called the meeting to order at 4:05 pm ET. No new agenda items were suggested. Quorum was achieved.
  2. Review of FamilyRelationships- next stages – Role relationships are describing various types of relationships (legal, etc). Next Step: Get existing value set domains, map their attributes. There was an action from the last call to contact some of the vendors to determine if there would be issues if we started cleaning these up. There will be issues, but HTA needs to develop a proposed method for handling them and present it the TSC. We need a list of all value sets that reference FamilyRelationships. V2 is more problematic due to V2 tables project (to be completed by fall). Heather feels V2 project gives us a good timeline for making a recommendation for moving forward. We also need to get V3 value sets that reference Rolecode. The first step is a manual process, but the second step can be accomplished via computer. Heather will pull together the content. Karen suggests that the HTA submit a proposal to the tooling committee to fund this project. A college intern might be useful in the future to get the needed work done.
    Rob noted that there is a CDA/Attachments project that needs concepts to represent patient care activities. They haven’t found what they need, but seems like the type of project that should come to the HTA. They are proposing LOINC codes. Rob suggests we bring this example to the TSC and let them know what we would have recommended and the analysis to support it.

Karen suggests part of the issue is a communications problem as there has been only one messages to the co-chairs and that was at the Monday night co-chairs dinner in Phoenix. She suggests that a member from HTA get on the steering division call agendas at least once if not twice, and that the HTA provide a Member Advance webinar describing what the HTA is doing, why, and how to engage with them. Finally, she suggests the HTA create a registry of issues sent to the HTA, their resolutions, and the rationale for the decisions.

  1. Next Meeting –June 19

Action items

  • Heather – map family relationships issues
  • Heather - Start document on tooling requirements
  • Heather –Create explanation of process and why it is important; use the Patient Care activities discussed on the call as an example. Julie to provide any information she may have
  • Present the process to TSC and then schedule time on the steering division agendas
  • Develop repository of known issues and resolutions – Discuss at next meeting

Action List

Date / Topic / Action / Responsibility / Status
20131113 / Terms of Reference / Modifications - to be ratified - sent to John Quinn to progress / JQ / Sent to JQ 13/11/13

Issues List

Area / Issue / Status
IHTSDO Content / Consider whether HTA need a SNOMED CT editor. If we do should we put forward a request for the next intake of the consultant terminologist program / Review when use cases available - Waiting
Request submission / More than one country can put concepts into their extensions resulting in effective duplication. Discussion is occurring to find and reduce this and to manage retirement. A policy exists to handle this at IHTSDO. There is a request for functionality to be able to see all requests – which the national release centres do already. The tooling and processes developed over the last few years have evolved solutions to this problem. / Note and review when use cases are available – Watching/Waiting
HL7 content / The issue of content in HL7 which does not go through the harmonisation pipe is not being reviewed for quality or content representation was discussed. / Can’t be first priority but needs to be sorted out quickly. Woody suggests that this group allows the task forces working on the various elements to converge a bit before we step in. Rob thinks our position should be that we are aware of the work being done in various areas and stand ready to provide input as and when needed.
Ballot Timing / Where SNOMED CT content is required or particularly clean up is needed this may cause ballot delays. / Early address and communication of known tasks is to be undertaken.
Terminology Content / Appropriate to move to new environment
New content / Wait
Terminology Content / When concept overlap occurs – there will be a need to determine current action and long term approach. / Wait
Terminology Content / Process of care concepts related to prescribing – such as unable to prescribe for x reason. Pharmacist refused to dispense because there was a drug interaction. / Wait
Terminology Content / There are concepts in the MIM that mirror those which are in the UK extension (known duplications). / Wait
Harmonisation / How do we find out about content which does not go through harmonisation, V2.x or CDA or FHIR. Ballot comment resolution process should include a step where the person responsible for finalising the resolutions should collect and submit to HTA any actions which will result in request for changes to a standard terminology. Expect a long term approach might require statement that the ballot does or does not include content extensions to existing standard terminologies. The principle is that HTA needs to be aware of such content and is the source of updates specific to HL7 not undertaken by other agencies. If it is being handled by a national release centre HTA should still be notified. This is a known, active problem. / Active
Harmonisation / Allergies are a very active set of concepts and they would serve as a good procedure test case for harmonisation. CDA in the USA, and EPSOS - Europe, and Australia, etc what are the differences and how will these be resolved. This is a concept model issue as well as well as a representation issue. / Active
Harmonisation / Relationships to OID usage and identification / Active
Harmonisation / How do we keep abreast of how SNOMED CT is changing. / Active