HIT Standards Committee: The search for NHIN governance is on
 |
“This is not a country club,” said Deering. "What is the governance framework that needs to be put in place for the development of standards and specifications and other technical issues?”
Because of the issue’s complexity, Deering stated the Office of Policy and Planning will be requesting public comment on NHIN’s governance. The office plans to publish an initial request for public comment by early August and aims for a notice of proposed rulemaking early 2011 with a final rule in the summer of 2011.
“Until rulemaking is final, nothing is final,” stated Deering.
Deering stated that rulemaking for NHIN is necessary to make sure users have trust in how information is shared, know that the exchange is working effectively and that consumers' expectations are met and/or exceeded.
“What are the questions you need to ask to get to [the right kind of governance]?” asked Deering who provided some food for thought in the types of questions healthcare professionals should ask concerning the rules about NHIN governance. “We know these aren’t all the questions. They might not even be the right questions, but it’s a way to get [the] first guidance.”
Using the Health Information Exchange Trust Framework, Deering posed questions for agreed upon business practices, policy and legal requirements, transparent oversight, enforcement and accountability, identity assurance and technical requirements.
One of the main challenges will be setting the points of granularity, remarked Deering in the discussion portion of her presentation. “Where are the urgent priorities? What can we deliver that is flexible enough to evolve over time?”
Moving forward, the presentation concluded noting as people think about and comment on NHIN governance, it is important to drill down questions because “there are many degrees of freedom” that could be offered as answers.