Attachments

Mission Statement

This work group supports the HL7 mission to create and promote HL7 standards. The Attachments Work Group standardizes the supplemental information needed to support health care insurance and other e-commerce transactions. Our purpose is to encourage the use of HL7 standards for uniform implementation of this supplemental information.

Important efforts, as guided by the Board of HL7, are to:

• Work jointly with X12N, the insurance subcommittee of ASC X12 • Work jointly with HL7 Structured Documents Work Group in the creation of CDAs for attachments • Provide support in the development and maintenance of attachments

Charter

Work Products and Contributions to HL7 Processes Since its inception in 1997, the work group has created and balloted implementation guide and attachment specifications built upon HL7 version 2.x messaging and upon the HL7 Clinical Document Architecture (CDA) standards. The initial deliverable included an implementation guide and detailed specifications for six attachment types: Ambulance Service, Rehabilitation Services, Clinical Reports, Laboratory Results, Medication and Emergency Department. These were incorporated into a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) under HIPAA in 2005. Other attachment offerings include but are not limited to, Patient Information Unspecified Content (PIUC), Children's Preventive Health Services, Periodontal, and Pre-Authorization/Referrals.

Formal Relationships With Other HL7 Groups The Attachments Work Group coordinates its work products with the Structured Documents Work Group.

In addition, the HL7 version 3 Financial Claims and Reimbursement (FICR) Domain supports attachments globally for invoice, authorization, coverage extension, and pre-determination events. The Financial Management (FM) Work Group intends to directly reference claim attachments in FICR Release 2.

Formal Relationship With Groups Outside of HL7 The HL7 Attachments Work Group works jointly with the insurance subcommittee of Accredited Standards Committee X12 (ASC X12), American Dental Association Standards Committee on Dental Informatics (ADA SCDI), National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) and other standards development organizations as guided by the Board of HL7. The work group also collaborates with Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) and the Regenstrief Institute in conjunction with the LOINC® (Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes) Committee.