BICSI releases newest standard

BICSI, an IT systems association, announced the release of its newest standard, ANSI/BICSI 004-2012, Information Technology Systems Design and Implementation Best Practices for Healthcare Institutions and Facilities on April 10.

“A healthcare facility's main function is to save lives, and its infrastructure must be capable of supporting that mission. BICSI 004-2012 has been developed to provide guidance on issues specific to the healthcare environment,” according to the press announcement.

The standard is intended to offer best practice information for technology systems infrastructure for hospitals, outpatient clinics and skilled nursing facilities. It covers frequent telecommunications and IT infrastructure concerns, including systems such as nurse call, interactive television/hospitality systems and connected medical imaging.

“With industry initiatives such as electronic health records and enhanced security coupled with the convergence of clinical and information technology, the need to build, upgrade or replace the built electronic infrastructure has become a critical issue with healthcare,” the announcement said.