Value Set Definition Standard Project

A New Normative Standard for Value Set Definitions

Overview

[From the PSS] Describe the elements that make up a “Value Set Definition”, and ballot this as a normative HL7 specification, including a demonstration of how this is met in FHIR profiles and HL7 Model Interchange Format (MIF).

The definition of value sets is a required activity in completing the specification of most health information technology artefacts. To date, the approach for doing so has not been consistent within HL7 constructs and elsewhere. Many of the required elements and approaches are embedded in existing HL7 artefacts but not consistently. Currently, an explicit list of all the fields in an HL7 value set definition are surfaced only in the informative balloted MIF, with a general description of them in the normative Core Principles specification. A more accessible and standardized list of these fields is required to facilitate interoperability and sharing of value set definitions across HL7 artefacts and the Health IT community at large.

Success criteria: Publishing of the normative standard, and a demonstration of value set definitions that conform to this published normative specification.

Project Processes

Conference Call Schedule and Minutes

Weekly meeting to occur Wednesdays 3-4pm ET

Phone: +1 770-657-9270, Participant Code: 598745
Webmeeting Info:
Topic: HL7 VSD weekly meeting
Date & Time: Wednesday at 13:00 UTC-07
Duration: 1 hour
To participate, click on the link: https://go.mikogo.com/?sp=HL7vsd&sid=559756147
If the above link does not work, you can follow these steps instead to join a session:
1. Go to http://go.mikogo.com
2. Enter the Session ID: 559-756-147
3. Enter your name
4. Click "Join Session"
5. Enter the Session Password: HL7vsd

Upcoming Meeting Agenda

1. 15 min: Discuss Initial Timeline
   1. Need named participants to put in content for each column. Also add new rows. Any potential change in element names or meaning should be included in comment cell.
   2. Next 3 meetings - through Nov. 20th - Spend 40 min reviewing draft element list comments from above entries
   3. Wed meeting times we will make agreed changes to elements based on review of comments.
2. 30 min: Initial Discussion on Versioning
   1. Meaning/Scope/Purpose of a Value Set is captured by the textual description captured in the "Purpose". This is tied to the VS identifier and can not change without requiring a new value set be created.
   2. VSAC - Two things are versioned. These can change independently, although often change together.
      1. Value Set Definition - identified set of metadata elements that when changed indicate a new version of the value set metadata
      2. Vale Set Expansion - members of the value set. This is determined by applying the logical member definition (should be computable) to a code system, this results in the members that definition generates for that code system version.

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Minutes documents:

20131016_VSD_Minutes
20131022_VSD_Minutes

Project Documents

The project working documents are being maintained using Google Docs. These can be found at: Links to project documents