HL7 Terminology Authority - Policies and Procedures

Introduction

The Terminology Authority is required to support the MOU between IHTSDO and HL7 and will be relevant to HL7's relationships with other terminology development organizations. The HL7 Terminology Authority will be concerned with the creation, implementation and management of HL7 processes for terminology management. These processes will be informed by input from the existing Vocabulary workgroup and existing terminology practices within HL7.

Purpose for an HL7 Terminology Authority

As a representative body of HL7 International (HL7), it is the purpose of the Terminology Authority to ensure that HL7 provides timely and high quality terminology products and services to meet its business needs. Additionally, the authority provides a single point of communciation with external terminology standards developers with which HL7 has established formal relationships.

Scope

The scope of responsibility of the HL7 Terminology Authority includes:

1. Development and maintenance of HL7 quality processes and measures related to HL7 terminology.
2. Advises TSC on inclusion/exclusion of [non-structural?] vocabulary requested for inclusion in HL7 vocabulary where needed.(should parallel activity with the ARB)
3. Maintains relationship with external terminology providers to ensure legal use of their products.

Draft Policy and Procedures

HL7 Terminology Authority: Policies and Procedures

Introduction

This document outlines the formation of an HL7 Terminology Authority and the policies and procedures under which it operates.

Composition

The HL7 Terminology Authority (HTA) shall have a Chair and a Vice Chair, who shall continue the business of the HTA in the Chair's absence. The HTA will select its chair following the Plenary meeting in odd-numbered years from among members currently seated or those recently elected. The selected member shall take office in January of the following even numbered year.

The remaining membership of the HTA shall be selected from current HL7 Members. The Committee will be comprised of the chair and 4 voting members with representation including members from at least two International affiliates, one co-chair from the Vocabulary Work Group and at-large members. The members will be appointed to the Committee by the HL7 Board. The Board shall ensure that appointments to the HTA are consistent with the goals and objectives currently defined for the HTA and best serve the interests and responsibilities of HL7. While it is desirable that the HTA be representative of all the various communities involved in HL7, the Board formally acknowledges that the primary criteria for membership are qualifications and commitment of time and effort.

Additional ex-officio, non-voting members will be the Chief Technical Officer of HL7, the HL7/LOINC Liaison and the HL7/IHTSDO liaison. Subject specific experts will be invited to attend when appropriate as non-voting members.

Criteria for membership

Qualifications

Candidates for membership in the HTA must recognize the importance of, and have a commitment to, the appropriate development and use of terminology as a critical success factor for HL7. They must be current members of HL7 or an HL7 Affiliate with strong written and verbal communication skills and expertise in at least one, but preferably both, of the following areas:

1. Large scale or enterprise-level development or management of terminology with a focus on achieving working/semantic interoperability between data exchange stakeholders in both intra- and inter-enterprise contexts.
2. Demonstrated understanding of good terminology practices as specified by the Cimino desiderata and knowledge of the HL7 core principles for terminology.
3. Demonstrated understanding of one or more large reference terminologies commonly used in the healthcare domain.

Commitment

Candidates shall provide documentation of support for their participation on the ArB from their employers or a like statement of their personal commitment if individual members of HL7. Members of the HTA are expected to:

1. participate in 75% of scheduled conference calls
2. dedicate ?? hours each week, in addition to conference calls, to HTA deliverables
3. attend at least two of the three Working Group Meetings each year

Trial Participation

Candidates wishing to be considered for membership on the HTA may be expected or invited to participate in HTA discussions as non-voting individuals prior to becoming a member to ensure their ability to meet the expected commitments and demonstrate the appropriate qualifications. This will allow ‘new’ HL7 members to fully participate in the HTA and contribute to the work as they become more fully informed as to the duties and requirements of HTA membership.

Term of Service

The HTA Chair and Vice-Chair will be appointed for staggered two-year terms to ensure continuity of committee knowledge and ongoing goals and objectives oft eh HTA.

Terminology Authority Chair and Vice-Chair

The terms of service for the HTA Chair and Vice-Chair will be the same as for the regular membership

Other members

For the regular members of the HTA, the appointees will serve staggered terms with two positions open in odd numbered years and three positions open in even numbered years. Members are eligible for reappointment of up to two additional terms. Prior members of the authority may be reappointed after a hiatus of one two year term.

Notification of Renewal

The Board shall provide two months notice to the HL7 membership and HL7 Affiliates when members are subject to reappointment or proposed new member appointments are being considered for positions on the HTA. Comments regarding the appointments may be submitted during this period for consideration by the Board prior to making the final appointments to the HTA.

Change of Member Employment Status

Should a member of the HTA experience a change in employment status, the Board reserves the right to seek the member’s resignation from the HTA based on real or perceived “preponderance of influence” or any other concerns as expressed by the other members of the HTA or the Board; e.g. change of the HTA member’s focus or priorities with respect to HL7 as expressed or demonstrated by the member’s new employer or contract holder.

Removal of Member

Any HTA member who, in the opinion of the HTA Chair or Vice Chair, is unable to satisfy the expected commitment based on both meeting attendance records and general effectiveness of participation may, with approval by the Board, be removed from the HTA at any point during their term.

Conduct of Meetings

All HTA meetings shall be open to any interested party. Minutes shall be taken at all meetings and posted on the HTA wiki. HL7 and the SDO community in general are free to comment, criticize, or raise additional issues.

Conflicts of Interest

Each member will be obligated to fully and fairly disclose to the HL7 Board Chair any real or potential conflict of interest the member has or may have with respect to any matter or item being considered, discussed or addressed by the Committee. In the case of such a conflict, the member must recuse themselves from both the discussion and subsequent vote on the item.

Activities

The key activities of the HL7 Terminology Authority includes:

1. providing recommendations to the HL7 Vocabulary Working Group on external terminology product and service developments.
2. providing expertise during the development of HL7 terminology products and services.
3. supporting harmonious and effective collaboration by HL7 with external terminology standards development organizations.
4. in conjunction with MnM, Tooling and Vocabulary WGs, develop quality assurance guidelines for submission of vocabulary requests to external terminology development organizations.
   1. determination of whether specific terminology content should be maintained internal or external to HL7 terminology.
   2. identification of potential IP restrictions (existence of MOUs or agreements)
   3. define minimum quality levels for terminology submissions to external terminology development organizations.
5. Define the policies and procedures...(from minutes)
6. Develop procedures to ensure the fitness for purpose and usability of external SDO approved vocabulary value sets.
7. Make recommendations to the HL7 Vocabulary Work Group on external SDO issues and policies related to the HL7 vocabulary.
8. Manage submissions to external terminology SDOs.
9. Develop inclusion and exclusion criteria for HL7 namespace.

Voting

Resolutions and recommendations from the HL7 Terminology Authority shall be determined by a simple majority vote cast at a meeting which there is a quorum. A quorum of the Committee consists of 50 percent of its members present at each meeting either physically or virtually. Each Committee member shall have one vote on each item presented and voted upon by the participants at a meeting. A valid vote is achieved when the following conditions are met:

1. A quorum is present
2. Less than one-third of the members present abstain
3. A simple majority is reached

In the case of a tie vote, the item will be tabled for consideration at another meeting.