What does the label "Accredited" mean?

[Scott Serich]

The document "PDMP Standard Assessment.pdf" asserts that the PMIX/NIEM data model (a NIEM IEPD) should score "1" on the criterion called "Accredited." What precisely does that mean? The only clue I could find in the document itself is that the label stands for "Accredited standards body," but it doesn't say who was not an accredited standards body for this model. Could somebody put a detailed explanation in writing so that it can be shared with others?

 

I honestly don't know whether I agree or disagree with the assessment. I just don't understand what it means at this point (for any of the candidates). I suspect that others might find the explanation valuable as well. Perhaps it could shed some light on what might be expected (or not) in the new NIEM Health Domain.

 

Thanks.

[Prescription Drug Monitoring Program]

HL7 (for CCDA) is an accredited standards development organization; and NCPDP is accredited by ANSI.

[Scott Serich]

Thanks. Bear with me a bit more. I just want to ensure that I understand the distinction between the proposed initiative candidates that would merit some of them being labeled as "Accredited" and others not. Is the proposed position of the Initiative that the organization responsible for the XML Schema Definition Language on which NIEM is based is not an accredited SDO? Or just that the PMIX NIEM IEPD specification itself was not authored by an accredited SDO?

 

Even if it's the latter, some components of the Federal Government have been sending signals to state and local governments that they will be viewed favorably by adopting NIEM-conformant interoperability specifications, while another component is now sending a signal that the adoption of such specifications is going to be penalized. This puts the States in a bind, and one could easily imagine why they might hesitate in adopting any Federal recommendations with respect to interoperability standards in the future for fear that their decision might leave them in an unfavorable position down the road.

 

Is there some way to reconcile these conflicting messages?

 

By the way, the comment on the February 25 call that no State PDMPs are currently exchanging data using the PMIX NIEM specification is entirely untrue. I believe the number of States using this specification as the basis for exchanges today numbers in the double figures.

 

[Chad Garner]

"By the way, the comment on the February 25 call that no State PDMPs are currently exchanging data using the PMIX NIEM specification is entirely untrue. I believe the number of States using this specification as the basis for exchanges today numbers in the double figures."

Not only are the number of states using the PMIX NIEM specification in the double digits, several states are using the PMIX NIEM specification to exchange data with EHR/EMR systems and HIEs.