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Background, Objectives and Evolution

Histoy
In 2013, a set of FHIR clinical resources were developed by the FHIR team with some inputs from the Patient Care WG members

At the time the FHIR team desired to create the resources without input relying only on an 80/20 rule - creating what was interpreted as needed to accomodate 80% of the needs.

Consequently, extensive debates had taken place during and after the first FHIR DSTU ballot. There are obvious harmonization issues between the technical and clinical view points/perspectives

In addition to the commitments by both the FHIR team and PCWG members to review and enhance/improve the FHIR DSTU1 Clinical Resources, it is agreed that better clinical engagements are highly desirable and beneficial to progressing the FHIR clinical resources toward DSTU2

At the May 2014 (Phoenix) WGM, the FHIR team approached PCWG leadership team to discuss the idea of a clinical connectathon. It was emphasized that this would be very different from the technical connectathon in which the participants focus solely on the technical aspect of interoperability. The clinical connectathon will be focused on validating the FHIR resources clinically.

Post May 2015 Paris WGM Decision
The use of the term Clinician Connectathon was revisited during the May 2015 WGM.
The consensus was that these events were not actually connectathon in the similar way to the technical FHIR connectathon events. Multiple other names were considered. The name Clinicians on FHIR was adopted.

Objectives
The set of key objectives established since the first event in May 2014 WGM were re-examined. It was agreed that these objectives are still valid and accurately reflect the purposes of the events:

- to test the accuracy, validity and usability of clinical resources

- to identify any issues arising from clinical use of clinical resources tested

- to provide recommendations to enhance/improve the clinical resources tested

- to identify lessons learnt such that future FHIR resources development methodology and processes may be improved

- provide education to clinicians regarding FHIR

Based on the re-examination of the purposes, it was agreed that a more appropriate concept should replace the current clinician connectathon concept moving forward.

The consensus was that Clinicians on FHIR is best suited to the intended purposes.