About ISO/TC215

Since 1998, ISO/TC215 Health Informatics has developed standards within the following scope:

• Standardization in the field of information for health, and Health Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to achieve compatibility and interoperability between independent systems.
• Ensures compatibility of data for comparative statistical purposes, (i.e. classifications) to reduce duplication of effort and redundancies.

The above diagram illustrates the current structure of the ISO/TC215, and its nine working groups.

ISO/TC215's current work program comprises over 130 items, which comprehensively cover the contemporary health information standards spectrum.

ISO/TC215:

• Hosts over 25 active participating (P-member) countries, including Canada, and a similar number of observing (O-member) countries.
• Maintains an extensive array of liaisons through its standards efforts, including but not limited to: HL7, the International Health Terminology Standards Development Organization (IHTSDO), the European Committee for Standardization (CEN)/TC251 – Health Informatics, and Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine Standards Committee (DICOM).
• Provides leadership to the Joint Initiative on SDO Global Health Informatics Standardization, including the Joint Initiative Council (JIC).
• The JIC consists of leaders from participating SDOs, including ISO/TC215, HL7, CEN, Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium (CDISC) and IHTSDO.
• The JIC operates as a council of equals, and as liaison group under ISO/TC215.

ISO/TC215 and its working groups typically meet twice per year to develop standards and related guidance documents. This includes a Plenary Meeting in the spring and a Joint Working Group Meeting in the autumn. Additional out-of-cycle meetings are held as required; ad hoc meetings, in conjunction with ISO/TC215’s principal liaison SDO partners, HL7 and CEN/TC251, are also frequent.

For more information on the technical committee, ISO/TC215 – Health Informatics, please visit the ISO website.