2013-11-19 User Group Task Force Conf Call

Related Links User Group Task Force Minutes

Agenda

• Discuss progress on pilot suggestion around Immunization
• Create draft for next HUG steps

Attendees

• John Hatem, Nathan Bunker, Mark McDougall, Karen Van Hentenryck

Minutes / Discussions

• Nathan reported that he views immunization as a prime area for an HL7 Users Group. Nathan is also willing the lead the charge in exploring how best to engage the CDC and move this forward.
  • Nathan reported that the group that leads the standardization in this area for the CDC is the American Immunization Registry Association (AIRA). In fact, AIRA is funded by the CDC. Working with HL7 on a users group will actually help AIRA achieve its goals.
  • The AIRA meeting registration fee was $200-$300 for the 2 ½ day meeting, including lunches.
  • Nathan will contact Rebecca Coyles who serves as the AIRA managing director.
  • AIRA convenes meetings, and the most recent one occurred and attracted about 300 attendees. One observation was that the AIRA meeting lacked a technical aspect.
• Further discussion will be needed on whether an HL7 Immunization Users Group ought to meet in conjunction with an HL7 WGM or with an AIRA meeting.
  • Nathan suspects that most immunization users group attendees would NOT be interested in attending an HL7 WGM.
• Next steps:
  • Determine under what conditions do we launch the immunization users group pilot
  • Nathan said that AIRA will want to discuss this with the AIRA Board and with the CDC. Nathan added that this discussion may require up to a month.
  • Nathan believes he will get ~15-20 people on conference calls.
  • Regarding governance, Mark suggested that we appoint an acting Chair until the community is gathered and formal elections are convened.
  • Mark added that additional details are also needed, such as:
    • Alerting the HL7 Board of the HL7 Users Group TF decision to pilot the UG in the immunization space
    • Decision on the frequency of the UG calls/webcasts (e.g., monthly)
    • Launch a listserv and wiki
    • Game plan for an annual face to face meeting that may occur at an HL7 Plenary meeting in September 2014 or the October 2014 AIRA meeting
  • Karen suggested that it would be nice to have ~3 program topics identified that would help attract new members of the UG.
    • Nathan indicated that he could quite easily identify several topics that he feels would be valued by the community.
  • We need to talk to Mike Kingery to determine how we would collect the fees for people to join the HL7 users group.
  • We would need to develop plans for marketing the users group

WORKING DRAFT for HL7 Users Group (HUG) Game plan

• This draft came from discussions among the HL7 Users Group Task Force on November 12, 2013

HL7 Users Group (HUG) Definiton

• A group of HL7 users (including both HL7 members and non-members) with common interests in implementing, rather than creating, one or more HL7 standards. HL7 User Groups will set their own agendas that may include common interests such as learning about or defining best practices to simplify and reduce the cost of implementation, exploration and identification of gaps in current standards that prohibit effective implementation, sharing lessons learned, hosting connectathons, learning about available HL7 enabled products, or other activities as deemed appropriate.

Charter and Mission

• Among the ideas under consideration , the HUG may address a number of activities from different perspectives, such as:
  • Education and support for implementers
  • Identifying gaps or needs for more standards development
  • Nurturing a community of users organized by standards, topic or WG

Anticipated HUG activities

• Virtual meetings on a regular basis TBD (e.g., monthly)
• Ongoing communications via HUG listserv and wiki
• Election of a HUG Chair and Co-chair
• Face to face one day meeting on an annual basis in conjunction with the 2014 Plenary meeting (e.g., Thursday or Friday of WGM week)

Finances

• User group dues pricing
  • HL7 members pay no fee to join the HL7 UG
  • Nonmembers of HL7 pay $100 to join the HL7 UG
• User group meeting registration fees
  • Discussed a full day registration meeting fee of $200 for HUG members and $300 for UG nonmembers that also provides one year of HUG membership

HL7 Support Suggestions

• Listserv
• Wiki
• Meeting logistics and registration support for annual face to face, and conference call support for regularly scheduled calls
• Support for convening elections of the chair and co-chair