CDA Implementation Guide Quality Criteria

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Project Scope Statement (approved by SDWG, pending TSC approval): http://wiki.hl7.org/index.php?title=File:HL7_Project_Scope_Statement_v2012_Quality_Criteria_for_CDA_IGs.06Sept2012.docx

Timeline:

• Draft list by end of Dec 2012;
• Test the use of the list against Jan 2013 ballot;
• Finalize list by end of March 2013;
• Do some good stuff with the list after that.

Suggested CDA Implementation Guide Quality Criteria

• Title page
  • [Jan 14, 2013 Approved for use] Title is specified
  • [Jan 14, 2013 Approved for use] Version of base standard is specified (e.g. CDA R2)
  • [Jan 14, 2013 Approved for use] Realm(s) is/are specified
  • [Jan 14, 2013 Approved for use] Ballot type (e.g. DSTU, Informative, etc) is specified
  • [Jan 14, 2013 Approved for use] Date of ballot / publication is specified
  • [Jan 14, 2013 Approved for use] HL7 International logo and copyright are present
  • [Jan 14, 2013 Approved for use] HL7-approved title page is used and not changed (i.e. title page is approved by HQ).

• Templates
  • [Jan 14, 2013 Approved for use] Each template has a narrative description
  • [Jan 14, 2013 Approved for use] Each template has a globally unique identifier
  • [Jan 14, 2013 Approved for use] Constraints are ordered within a template per the XML ITS ordering rules
  • [Jan 14, 2013 Consider for future use] Constraints should be traceable to requirements

• Version? Usage? Edition?
  • [Feb 7, 2013 SDWG: In the IG Publishing subgroup queue for consideration] Guide specifies both normative and inferred or inherited constraints, but clearly differentiates between them with visual cues
  • or,
  • [Feb 7, 2013 SDWG: In the IG Publishing subgroup queue for consideration] Guide is published both in a concise version for normative purposes, including only constraints unique to the guide, and in a verbose version for developers, making all constraints explicit, whether unique to the guide or inherited

• Value sets
  • [Feb 7, 2013 Approved for use] Are linked to coded elements within templates using normative binding syntax
  • [Feb 7, 2013 Approved for use] Each value set is referenced via a value set OID
  • [Feb 7, 2013 Approved for use] Each code in a value set has a specified code system OID
  • [Feb 14, 2013 Consider for future use] SNOMED CT value sets adhere to TermInfo conformance rules (as stated in the "Using SNOMED CT in HL7 Version 3" guide)

• Examples
  • Inline examples are present for all templates
  • [Feb 14, 2013 Approved for use] A stand alone and conformant sample file is present

• Extensions [suggested addition:Lisa Nelson]
  • A table summarizes all extensions
  • Modified Schema including all extensions
  • Extension elements appear in the XML where the expected RIM element of the same name would have appeared had that element not been otherwise constrained from appearing in the CDA XML schema.

• Validation Guidance [suggested addition:Lisa Nelson, Virinder Batra]
  • A table listing the available validation mechanisms
  • Guidance on how to handle situations where a document instance validates under one mechanism, but generates errors under a different recommended validation mechanism.

• Validation [suggested addition: Brett Marquard]
  • Provide validation, either on a website or stand alone tool, for templates contained in an IG
  • Optionally, provide the test package used to validate the tool

• Adherence to Publishing Committee guidelines [suggested addition: Bob Dolin]
  • We anticipate that a CDA IG Subcommittee of the Publishing Committee will post (and continually update) CDA IG publishing criteria