HL7 Health Level Seven International is an international network of medical experts committed to developing standards for health information exchange. Currently, the only official international benchmarking organization for healthcare quality standards is the US Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). However, there are many other global quality assessment processes in operation that use similar criteria. In order for these global quality assessments to be effective, they must be accredited by JCAHO.
In the past apart from HL7 Health Level Seven, there were only two healthcare quality standards organizations in North America: The Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHSA) and The American Board of Clinical Trials (ABTC). Both have since become overwhelmed with the large number of specialty areas that have developed during the past decade. Because of this, both organizations have received a larger number of applications than they can handle, resulting in delays in the process of selecting accrediting bodies. As a result, many specialty areas continue to be accredited by only one of the two organizations.
When an area of healthcare falls outside of the purview of one of the JCAHO standards, it is given a lower quality rating than it would normally receive. This is because there is not enough research being conducted on that area. The reason for this is that the majority of healthcare professionals in North America have been trained and certified in areas other than those covered by the JCAHO standards. Therefore, they are not as qualified to evaluate the specific needs of the patient. As a result, the overall safety and effectiveness of patient care is affected.
The organization that was responsible for creating the original JCAHO standards, The Joint Commission On Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, realized that they needed additional help in the area of standards development. After several discussions with various healthcare professionals and organizations across the country, the JCAHO standards were redesigned in the 2021 edition. The revisions were done in response to input from member states of the Union. These changes included removing the word “provider” from the second sentence of the organizational goal statement that stated: “The National Health Information Center (NHCI) provides the source for U.S. consumers to obtain reliable and correct healthcare information.”
Many professionals believe the first attempt at a standard was inadequate because it did not address many important issues that concerned both patients and providers. These issues included the use of outcomes measurement, provider and payer perspectives and the difference between health care and pharmaceutical services. According to the revisions, these issues are now addressed. Another change effected was the removal of the word “provider” from the second sentence of the organizational goal statement, which used to state: “The National Health Information Center (NHCI) provides reliable and correct healthcare information to all consumers.” This was done in an effort to strike a more professional tone and emphasize that healthcare is not a privilege for the few but is a right for all.
The National Health Information Center was established in 1966 as a federal clearinghouse for all medical information in the United States. At the time, there were no national standards for patient education or healthcare delivery. As medical advancements were made nationally, the need for uniform information developed by different organizations became necessary. In reaction to this, NHCI began developing guidelines and rules that would become the basis for all healthcare institutions. After being implemented, NHCI also became the platform through which numerous healthcare organizations communicate with their patients. Today, the National Health Information Center serves as the main clearinghouse for the healthcare industry, disseminating accurate and current information to millions of patients and doctors across the United States.
The seven principles listed in the revised International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Health Problems (ISD M.R. 7) have been incorporated into the CDSS. These include measures of quality of health-related services and the improvement of the overall health system.
According to the World Health Organization, the International Statistical Classification of Disease and Health Problems has been the “source of much of today’s information on disease severity and prevalence.” Since its inception, the classification system has allowed researchers to make more accurate estimates of disease burden and to provide better services to patients. Additionally, improved epidemiologic studies have helped to increase the reliability of these estimates. As a result, there are many diseases and conditions that are now being categorized along the levels of the ICD-9. For individuals who may be interested in the ICD-9 and its use in the healthcare industry, there are many sources for information available both online and in books.
