XHTML For Narrative

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Submitted by: Rick Geimer	Revision date: 2009-08-04
Submitted date: 2009-08-04	Change request ID: <<Change Request ID>>

Issue

• The current markup for the CDA narrative block is "HTML-like". Why not make it a true subset of XHTML (in the XHTML namespace even)? This would make display stylesheets much simpler, and allow much better presentation in browsers.

Recommendation

• Allow elements in the XHTML namespace in all "text" elements.

Discussion

• I assume you're not proposing any new markup features, just XHTML equivalents of whatever we currently have in CDA R2. No new functionality, just a subset of XHTML that has the equivalent functionality of the current markup in CDA R2. If so, then this is just a syntax change. Maybe it would be nice to talk to MnM to create a ED data type flavor for it. Rene spronk 16:25, 4 August 2009 (UTC)
• I would like to ensure that it would at least support the kinds of basic XHTML markup that would be output from the various WYSIWYG online HTML editors out there. This would open up all kinds of possibilities for using XForms for coded data and off the shelf editors for narrative. Rick Geimer 17:54, 5 August 2009 (UTC)

Resolution

March 23, 2010: We support this. Will need to define what the subset it, how it supports current requirements, etc. Opposed: 0; Abstain: 0; In favor: 6.