The benefits of standardization can only be realized if there is full industry compliance. It is important that managers who are responsible for policy decisions at their institutions are aware of this strategy and have a solid grasp of the issues involved. Before NPRMs can be published, they must be approved by the HHS Data Council 's Committee on Health Data Standards, advisors to the Secretary of HHS, and the Office of Management and Budget. This is done by consensus with national standards development organizations, government agencies, professional organizations, and other public and private healthcare entities. The Internet will continue to serve as a vehicle to disseminate the latest developments and considerations during this period.
Public input is essential for local concerns to be addressed.
Professionals and consumers should try to learn as much as they can about the NPRMs and how they would affect their systems and processes. Meetings facilitated by local and national organizations during this time will help scope out the issues and initiate public debate. These are published in the Federal Register and on the DHHS Web-site. The industry will be given clear guidance and technical assistance for adoption of transaction, code sets, identifiers, and security standards. Early adopters will ease transitions for others through sharing of best practices and lessons learned.