The National Institute of Standards and Technology is currently reconsidering the role that government should play in developing standards used in electronic health records and other technologies, according to Government Health IT.
The institute has in the past taken a largely hands-off approach to standards development. It has allowed the industry to lead the way in determining the direction of development.
However, in recent years, particularly with regard to health information technology, governmental bodies have taken a proactive role. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, for example, is currently working to develop a set of standards for the national health information exchange, which would allow physicians from across the country to share patient information.
It is encouraging "to see that our governmental leaders understand how important an open and transparent standards process is to our ability to be successful in the world," Mark Chandler, general counsel of Cisco, told the news source.
The institute has issued a request for comment from industry concerning their proposal to set the new standards.