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2. Establish national standards for clinical terminology and health informatics
For a web based interoperable national grid it is imperative to have common
clinical nomenclature, or else disparate programs developed by the industry
will not be interoperable. The clinical standards will establish a common
lexicon to be used in electronic transactions. This will enable all
geographically scattered entities to communicate in one common language and
facilitate data transmission and collection. It is important to develop
common nomenclature standards for the traditional medical systems, as large
numbers of people depend on these systems for their medical needs. Besides
the common clinical language, adoption of a common national standard in
health informatics will facilitate the messaging, collation and analysis of
data.
3. Create a common electronic health record (EHR)
An electronic health record (EHR) is the record of a person from birth to death where
all heath care encounters are recorded. Health transactions are presently recorded in a
paper format, like a hospital patient chart, prescriptions, laboratory tests etc. The
technology to capture and store this information electronically already exists and has
been developed by many private and public organizations in India. For uniform data
capture, storage and subsequent use, it is recommended to create a common national
EHR based on common clinical and IT standards. The record should be able to
capture data generated by the ‘traditional medicine’ health providers. To promote the
early adoption of the health IT, this EHR may be given free of cost or at subsidized
rates to all users. The other IT tools and applications can be developed by the private
industry and should be compatible with the national EHR.
4. Frame policies to promote use of IT in health care. The use of IT in
health care needs an impetus from the government; otherwise the development
and penetration will be slow and arbitrary. These policies should be formed,
not to hamper, but promote the health IT business in the country and generate
employment in this sector. The central government should declare a time period
after which all transactions in health care in the country will be in
electronic format. Sufficient time should be given for the health
establishments to adopt electronic transaction. NKC feels 7-10 years is an
adequate time for all parties to evolve electronic transactions after which
all health establishments should be able to comply.
5. Create appropriate policy framework to protect health data of citizens.
The integrity of data at the primary data collection site will determine the usefulness
of this enterprise. To ensure that only correct patient and other health data is
collected, it is of utmost importance to gain the confidence of the citizens that their
health data will not be misused by the health providers, insurance companies,
employers and the government. Both technological and legal framework is important
to achieve this. While encryption, anonymity and other IT security measures should
be in place; it is also important to have rules in place. It is important to maintain
confidentiality and security of the personal health data and to govern the access and
use of data.
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