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

NOTE: This is a draft starter set of CDA Implementation Guide Quality Criteria. HL7 Structured Documents WG is putting together a Project Scope Statement to flesh these out in more detail. For now, think of this page more as a scratch pad where anyone can list their suggestions.

Suggested CDA Implementation Guide Quality Criteria

• Title page
  • Title is specified
  • Realm is specified
  • Ballot type (e.g. DSTU vs. ??) is specified
  • Date is specified
  • HL7 logo is present

• Templates
  • Each template has a narrative description
  • Constraints are ordered per the CDA schema

• Version? Usage? Edition?
  • Guide specifies both normative and inferred or inherited constraints, but clearly differentiates between them with visual cues
  • or,
  • 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
  • Are linked to templates using normative binding syntax
  • Each value set is referenced via a value set OID
  • Each code in a value set has a specified code system OID
  • SNOMED CT value sets adhere to TermInfo conformance rules

• Examples
  • Inline examples are present for all templates
  • A stand alone complete sample file is present

• Extensions [suggested addition:Lisa Nelson]
  • A table summarizes all extensions
  • Modified Schema including all extensions

• 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.

• 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