HL7 PCWG - Care Plan Team Perspective

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- The Care Plan team acknowledges that different stakeholder groups will continue to use the different types of plan in different ways.

- A reasonable approach is to treat names for different types of plan as "labels". Clear definitions and descriptions for each plan type are require to ensure clear distinctions. Stakeholders can associate their preferred label (display name) to each care plan type that best suit their purpose of use.

- When new uses are identified, new definitions, descriptions and labels can be developed. If the new uses impact on the generic "plan" structure and semantics, they can be submitted to HL7 Care Plan project for discussion, consideration and inclusion where appropriate.

- This is analogous to managing new drug (e.g. new class of antihypertensive) in drug catalogues. When a new drug or drug class is approved for clinical use, it will be added to the drug catalogue, dictionary and hospital drug formulary.

- On the question of whether Care Plan is an artefact or a process:

* In the paper world where the Care Plan is designed as a document, it is an artefact that can be created, edited/updated and exchanged

* In the electronic world where the Care Plan is intended to be use as a care coordination tool, the concept of Care Plan encompasses two components:

- The Care Plan as an artefact (which can be a complex, virtual, real time editable/updatable object; but can also be a static, point in time exchangeable document)

- The Care Planning, implementation, coordination, review, etc as a set of inter-related processes or activities