From the CCHIT website
Simply stated,
before any element of information (like a lab result, prescribed drug, allergy note, measles shot) can be exchanged by computer beyond the original source, there has to be a common way of “saying” it and a uniform and secure method of transporting it from one place to another.
To transform that simple statement into successful practice, however, requires:
• A plan to incorporate still-maturing standards for representing, sending
and receiving a wide range of information types, each with a multitude of possible results, values and other content.
• Agreement on uniform ways to put those standards into practice in certifed
EHRs simultaneously.
• A logical sequence of EHR requirements that over time supplies the building
blocks of a solid foundation for sending, receiving and productively using information on a single individual from many different electronic points of origin – the essence of a patient-oriented EHR.
A secure electronic highway for conducting health information exchange (HIE) on a large scale.
I'm sure most of us do not disagree with this premise.
