Maternal and Child Health

Between March of 2006 and March of 2008, the American Health Information Community (AHIC) published 13 use cases. In April of 2008 the AHIC began the process of identifying 2009 priorities to serve as focus areas for standards harmonization and other national Health IT agenda activities. During the June 2008 and July 2008 AHIC meetings, there was approval for development of 1 new "Use Case" and 13 "Extensions/Gaps". One of the extensions/gaps prioritized for subsequent processing in the national health agenda activities in 2009 was Maternal and Child Health. The Maternal and Child Health Extension/Gap addresses the ability to exchange obstetric and pediatric patient information between Electronic Health Records (EHRs), the ability to incorporate pediatric assessment tools, guidelines and assessment schedules into EHRs, the ability to exchange standardized patient assessments for antenatal care, pre-natal care, labor and delivery and post-partum care between EHRs and the ability to incorporate assessment tools, guidelines and assessment schedules into EHRs for antenatal care, pre-natal care, labor and delivery and post-partum care, as well as the ability to exchange this information with appropriate Public Health programs.  

This final extension/gap document was developed by Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) to represent the AHIC priorities and provide context for the national health agenda activities, beginning with the selection of harmonized standards by the Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel (HITSP). Components that need to be considered during the standards identification and harmonization activities include standardized vocabularies, data elements, datasets, and technical standards that support the processes and the communication of maternal and child health information between clinicians, public health and services.  HITSP may look to reuse standards, where applicable, from standards previously recognized by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), to specify and constrain how standards are to be used to advance interoperability and to work with standards development organizations to see that gaps in standards are filled.

This is the Final AHIC Maternal and Child Health Extension/Gap Document. Previously ONC distributed a Draft Document and requested public feedback.  These activities resulted in approximately 13 feedback items from 101 organizations.  Feedback received on the Draft AHIC Extension/Gap has been considered and incorporated where applicable.

ONC would like to thank you for your participation in the development of the 2009 Maternal and Child Health Extension/Gap.  If you are interested in receiving a summary of the dispositioned Draft Maternal and Child Health Extension/Gap feedback, please send an email message to: usecase2@hhs.gov and put “Feedback Disposition Requested” in the subject line.  The disposition summary will include the feedback received from all organization and individuals.  In the circumstance where the submitter was anonymous, the submitter will be identified as “Anonymous” in the disposition summary. 

The Final Extension/Gap is available for download:

• Final Extension/Gap – Maternal and Child Health [PDF - 362KB]

Thank you for your sharing your views and/or the views of your organization.

Sincerely,

Use Case Team - ONC

Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology

The Department of Health and Human Services