Pat Evans mailto: alric1@telocity.com forwarded an announcement about the formation of a task force by the Health Information Management Systems Society (www.himss.org) for a ‘national health information infrastructure’. Possibly a step in the right direction however, there are some closed source players involved. The full text of the announcement is within.

HIMSS launches task force for national health information network

October 17, 2002

The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society yesterday announced a task force charged with developing plans for a national health information infrastructure (NHII). The task force is intended to help health care leaders develop a “comprehensive system capable of providing trustworthy information to all health care decision makers,” HIMSS announced.

The National Health Information Infrastructure Task Force will first examine the current state of health care information technology and identify areas for development. The group is also charged with developing a prototype NHII and incorporating feedback from HIMSS members and other health care leaders.

Task force members come from organizations including Cerner, the Medical Records Institute and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation (HIMSS release, 10/16).

The National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics, an advisory body to HHS, is also examining ways to develop a NHII. In December 2001, NCVHS released a report that outlined ways that government, industry, advocacy groups and consumer organizations could work together to build a health information system (NCVHS report, December 2001).