HL7UK and the Supplier Community Dr Mike Robinson

12 th December 2003HL7 UK Conference 2003 Agenda Membership of HL7UK Activity in HL7UK Relation to National Programme for IT Plea for more involvement

Dr Mike Robinson 12 th December 2003HL7 UK Conference 2003 Membership types Generally speaking: –Standards developers develop standards These are frequently Individual members –Health care system suppliers implement standards These are usually Organisational members There are some notable exceptions, but the generality is true

Dr Mike Robinson 12 th December 2003HL7 UK Conference 2003 General Membership March 2001 –19 Organisational members –21 Personal members December 2003 –5 Benefactors –72 Organisational members –78 Personal members

Dr Mike Robinson 12 th December 2003HL7 UK Conference 2003 Board Membership

Dr Mike Robinson 12 th December 2003HL7 UK Conference 2003 Technical Committees V2 –Small group of suppliers defined how they were using V2 and then adopted and documented the relevant parts of the V2 standard for use in the UK V3 –Larger group, mixed audience, attempting to understand and influence the emerging V3 standard

Dr Mike Robinson 12 th December 2003HL7 UK Conference 2003 Problem Implementers are those who have to use the developed standards But – Standards developers are not often implementers So – Implementers should lead standards development Because – Standards developers may become remote from implementation issues

Dr Mike Robinson 12 th December 2003HL7 UK Conference 2003 HL7.org Heavily supplier oriented Successful because: –Implementation drivers –Early adopters –Commercial pressure to develop solutions –Supplier buy-in

Dr Mike Robinson 12 th December 2003HL7 UK Conference 2003 HL7UK Early on –Developer heavy –Implementer light Now –More equal balance –BUT most work still being done by developers Needs –More commitment from suppliers

Dr Mike Robinson 12 th December 2003HL7 UK Conference 2003 GP to GP record transfer Example of collaborative effort Message definition project Led by NHSIA Consortium of system developers, led by University of Newcastle BUT –Early engagement with GP System Suppliers –Led to active involvement of implementers

Dr Mike Robinson 12 th December 2003HL7 UK Conference 2003 HCIF Another example Healthcare Interoperability Forum Loose arrangement of suppliers Focussed efforts on existing and emerging message flows Now superseded by National Programme

Dr Mike Robinson 12 th December 2003HL7 UK Conference 2003 NPfIT Significant influence on development Recent upsurge in membership of HL7UK Open to influence Willingness to share information about emerging standards Engagement with suppliers NEEDS FEEDBACK

Dr Mike Robinson 12 th December 2003HL7 UK Conference 2003 Proposal Organisational members should lead standards development Requires significant commitment from commercial companies Significant role for current standards developers, working for implementers

Dr Mike Robinson 12 th December 2003HL7 UK Conference 2003 Dangers Standards are not implementable Possible delays to National Programme Lack of supplier interest

Dr Mike Robinson 12 th December 2003HL7 UK Conference 2003 In Summary Plea Join HL7UK – YES Observe – Yes Contribute – YES Drive the standards development – YES Influence the HL7UK organisation – Yes