ENV 13940:2001
(Main)Health Informatics - System of concepts to support continuity of care
Health Informatics - System of concepts to support continuity of care
Continuity of care implies the management of health information in two different perspectives:
- local management of information about the subject of care, at the site of care provision,
- information interchange between health care providers.
This European pre-standard seeks to identify and define those processes which relate to the continuity of care. It specifically addresses aspects of sharing patient related information needed in the process of care. It identifies and defines relevant data and information flows, together with their relationships to "time slots".
In order to support the delivery of high quality care to each patient, and to facilitate continuity of care, a full understanding is needed of the temporal aspects of the delivery of health care, the role of each party in the health care process , and their interaction in the patient's environment. The concepts describing the characteristics of the ongoing process of care should not differ in nature from those that are used to structure and organise the data locally in the Electronic Health Care Record.
Medizinische Informatik - Begriffssystem zur Unterstützung der Kontinuität der Versorgung
Informatique de santé - Système de concepts en appui de la continuité des soins
Zdravstvena informatika – Sistem konceptov za podporo neprekinjeni oskrbi
General Information
- Status
- Withdrawn
- Publication Date
- 11-Dec-2001
- Withdrawal Date
- 12-Jun-2007
- Technical Committee
- CEN/TC 251 - Medical informatics
- Drafting Committee
- CEN/TC 251/WG 1 - Information models
- Current Stage
- 9960 - Withdrawal effective - Withdrawal
- Start Date
- 13-Jun-2007
- Completion Date
- 13-Jun-2007
Relations
- Effective Date
- 22-Dec-2008
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Frequently Asked Questions
ENV 13940:2001 is a standardization document published by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). Its full title is "Health Informatics - System of concepts to support continuity of care". This standard covers: Continuity of care implies the management of health information in two different perspectives: - local management of information about the subject of care, at the site of care provision, - information interchange between health care providers. This European pre-standard seeks to identify and define those processes which relate to the continuity of care. It specifically addresses aspects of sharing patient related information needed in the process of care. It identifies and defines relevant data and information flows, together with their relationships to "time slots". In order to support the delivery of high quality care to each patient, and to facilitate continuity of care, a full understanding is needed of the temporal aspects of the delivery of health care, the role of each party in the health care process , and their interaction in the patient's environment. The concepts describing the characteristics of the ongoing process of care should not differ in nature from those that are used to structure and organise the data locally in the Electronic Health Care Record.
Continuity of care implies the management of health information in two different perspectives: - local management of information about the subject of care, at the site of care provision, - information interchange between health care providers. This European pre-standard seeks to identify and define those processes which relate to the continuity of care. It specifically addresses aspects of sharing patient related information needed in the process of care. It identifies and defines relevant data and information flows, together with their relationships to "time slots". In order to support the delivery of high quality care to each patient, and to facilitate continuity of care, a full understanding is needed of the temporal aspects of the delivery of health care, the role of each party in the health care process , and their interaction in the patient's environment. The concepts describing the characteristics of the ongoing process of care should not differ in nature from those that are used to structure and organise the data locally in the Electronic Health Care Record.
ENV 13940:2001 is classified under the following ICS (International Classification for Standards) categories: 35.240.80 - IT applications in health care technology. The ICS classification helps identify the subject area and facilitates finding related standards.
ENV 13940:2001 has the following relationships with other standards: It is inter standard links to EN 13940-1:2007. Understanding these relationships helps ensure you are using the most current and applicable version of the standard.
ENV 13940:2001 is available in PDF format for immediate download after purchase. The document can be added to your cart and obtained through the secure checkout process. Digital delivery ensures instant access to the complete standard document.
Standards Content (Sample)
SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-oktober-2003
Zdravstvena informatika – Sistem konceptov za podporo neprekinjeni oskrbi
Health Informatics - System of concepts to support continuity of care
Medizinische Informatik - Begriffssystem zur Unterstützung der Kontinuität der
Versorgung
Informatique de santé - Systeme de concepts en appui de la continuité des soins
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: ENV 13940:2001
ICS:
35.240.80 Uporabniške rešitve IT v IT applications in health care
zdravstveni tehniki technology
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.
EUROPEAN PRESTANDARD
ENV 13940
PRÉNORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE VORNORM
December 2001
ICS 35.240.80
English version
Health Informatics - System of concepts to support continuity of
care
Informatique de santé - Système de concepts en appui de Medizinische Informatik - Begriffssystem zur Unterstützung
la continuité des soins der Kontinuität der Versorgung
This European Prestandard (ENV) was approved by CEN on 19 October 2000 as a prospective standard for provisional application.
The period of validity of this ENV is limited initially to three years. After two years the members of CEN will be requested to submit their
comments, particularly on the question whether the ENV can be converted into a European Standard.
CEN members are required to announce the existence of this ENV in the same way as for an EN and to make the ENV available promptly
at national level in an appropriate form. It is permissible to keep conflicting national standards in force (in parallel to the ENV) until the final
decision about the possible conversion of the ENV into an EN is reached.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
Management Centre: rue de Stassart, 36 B-1050 Brussels
© 2001 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. ENV 13940:2001 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.
Contents
Foreword. 4
Introduction . 5
1. Scope. 6
2. Normative references . 8
3. Definitions . 8
4. Abbreviations . 12
5. Domain description : organisational principles of longitudinal care . 13
6. Actors in Continuity of Care . 14
6.1 Health Care Agent. 14
6.2 Health Care Device . 15
6.3 Health Care Software. 16
6.4 Health Care Party. 17
6.5 Subject of Care . 19
6.6 Health Care Provider. 21
6.7 Health Care Organisation. 23
6.8 Health Care Professional . 25
6.9 Health Care Third Party. 27
6.10 Other Carer . 29
7. Health Issues and their management. 30
7.1 Health Issue . 30
7.2 Health Issue Thread. 32
8. Situations in Continuity of Care. 34
8.1 Period of Service. 34
8.2 Contact. 36
8.2.1 Record Access and Update. 38
8.2.2 Encounter . 40
8.3 Contact Element. 41
8.4 Episode of Care . 43
8.5 Cumulative Episode of Care . 45
9. Concepts related to activity, use of clinical knowledge, and decision support in Continuity of Care . 47
9.1 Clinical Guideline. 47
9.2 Protocol . 48
9.3 Programme of Care . 50
9.4 Care Plan . 52
9.5 Health Care Objective . 54
9.6 Health Care Goal. 55
9.7 Health Care Activity. 56
9.7.1 Health Care Service . 57
9.7.2 Health Care Compliant Activity. 59
9.7.3 Health Care Automated Activity. 60
9.8 Services Bundle . 61
10. Concepts related to responsibility in Continuity of Care . 63
10.1 Mandate . 63
10.1.1 Demand Mandate. 65
10.1.2 Care Mandate. 67
10.1.3 Mandate to Export Personal Data . 69
10.1.4 Continuity Facilitator Mandate . 71
10.2 Demand for Care. 73
10.3 Mandate Notification. 75
11. Health Data Management in Continuity of Care . 77
11.1 Local Health Care Record. 77
11.2 Record Component. 79
11.3 Sharable Data . 80
11.4 Sharable Data Repository . 82
11.5 Specific Clinical Information Request. 84
11.6 Tailored Clinical Information. 85
11.7 Non Validated Clinical Data. 86
11.8 Clinical Data for Import. 87
Annex A (informative) Partial view over a UML representations of the system of concepts . 88
A.1 Actors. 88
A.2 Health Care Services. 89
A.3 Situations and Health Care Services . 90
A.4 Mandates . 91
A.5 Mandates and Health Care Services .92
A.6 Health Care Record . 93
A.7 Health Data Management. 94
Annex B (Informative) Overview and explanatory comments. 95
Annex C (informative) Bibliography . 107
Annex D (Informative) Comparison of several definitions as per this European pre-standard with
corresponding definitions as per previous European standardisation works. 109
Index . 119
Foreword
This European pre-standard has been prepared by CEN Technical Committee 251 "Health
Informatics", under mandate M/255 and order voucher BC/CEN/97/23.1.2 by the European
Commission and the European Free Trade Association.
The normative provisions of this European pre-standard are to be found in Clauses 5 to 11. The
informative Annexs A and B provide further descriptions and explanations, as well as a tentative model
of some parts of the system of concepts that forms the normative clauses, focusing on some details
wherever felt necessary.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by June 2002, and conflicting national standards shall be
withdrawn at the latest by June 2002.
According to the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the
following countries are bound to announce this European Prestandard : Austria, Belgium, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,
Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Introduction
There is a need for clinicians, private and public health care providers, health managers and funding
organisations to define the classes of concepts and their descriptive terms regarding all processes of
care, especially considering patient centred continuity of care, shared care and seamless care.
Continuity of care depends on the effective transfer and linkage of data and information about the
clinical situation and the care provided to a subject of care, between different parties involved in the
process, within the framework of ethical, professional and legal, rules. The description and
formalisation of continuity of care in information systems implies that the related concepts and
descriptive terms be defined, so establishing a common conceptual framework across national,
cultural, and professional barriers.
1. Scope
Continuity of care implies the management of health information in two different perspectives:
local management of information about the subject of care, at the site of care provision,
information interchange between health care providers.
This European pre-standard seeks to identify and define those processes which relate to the continuity
of care. It specifically addresses aspects of sharing patient related information needed in the process
of care. It identifies and defines relevant data and information flows, together with their relationships to
"time slots".
In order to support the delivery of high quality care to each patient, and to facilitate continuity of care, a
full understanding is needed of the temporal aspects of the delivery of health care, the role of each
party in the health care process , and their interaction in the patient’s environment. The concepts
describing the characteristics of the ongoing process of care should not differ in nature from those that
are used to structure and organise the data locally in the Electronic Health Care Record.
This European pre-standard addresses such topics as :
organisational principles of longitudinal care
actors : health care agents, health care parties, subjects of care, health care providers, provider
organisations, health care professionals, and third parties
events : health issues, and their management
situations :, contacts, encounters, episodes of care, and periods of service
concepts related to decision support, use of clinical knowledge, and activity : services, protocols,
programmes of care, care plans, care pathways
concepts related to responsibility and information flows within the clinical process : mandates and
their notification
concepts related to health data management
In order to establish a common conceptual framework for continuity of care across national, cultural
and professional barriers, all these concepts are defined in this document, and their inter-relationships
identified.
The system of concepts and the terms defined in this European pre-standard are designed to support
the management of health care related information over time and the delivery of care by different
health care agents who are working together. This includes primary care professionals and teams,
health care funding organisations, managers, patients, secondary and tertiary health care providers,
and community care teams.
This harmonised system of concepts will be used to facilitate clinical and administrative decision
making, health care logistics such as provision of coherent services— and to enhance relationships
between health care professionals and their patients.
Within this European pre-standard, 'subject of care' —a concept definitely restricted here to human
beings— refers to an individual. It is assumed that in those cases where a health care service
addresses a group of more than one individual (e.g. a family, a community, etc.), and where a single
health care record is used to capture the health care services provided to the group, each individual
within the group will be referenced explicitly within that health care record.
This European pre-standard does not intend to define how the processes should be performed in a
particular health care framework. It does not intend to have any regulatory impact on the actual delivery
of care. For example, it defines what "a hospital stay" is, but it does not specify in any way the events
that may occur during a hospital stay.
The specific management of prescriptions for drug therapy and of laboratory tests and their results are
not part of this European pre-standard; nor does the pre-standard define any other aspects of the
health care process, such as security, act specific management, the life cycle of acts, terminology and
classification, or the financing mechanism of health care delivery.
While this European pre-standard can help manage the logistics of health care delivery, it does not
intend to refer specifically to the issue of resources needed in the provision of health care services.
NOTE:
This European pre-standard aims to identify and describe concepts important to continuity of care, and
to establish a system of concepts that is to be used when setting up information systems, especially
when dealing with health care record communication. The primary focus of the pre-standard is
terminology.
In order to help the readers understand more easily the relationships between these concepts, several
diagrams have been introduced based on UML conventions. Thus, for each one of the concepts
described in clauses 6 to 11, a diagram is provided, showing its direct relationships with other concepts
belonging to the same system of concepts.
The concept under consideration appears at the centre of these diagrams. This decision has been
made to improve clarity and to show the relationships in one direction only, with corresponding
cardinalities.
The purpose of UML modelling in this documents is to highlight relationships of concepts, not their
attributes. Features which refer to some entities may be considered as related concepts in their own
right. Because of the generic nature of some of these features, they may not belong to the system of
concepts that forms the scope of this European pre-standard, and in that case such features will not be
described further. An example of this is:
a subject of care may have an undefined number of addresses, and an address may be associated
with an undefined number of subjects of care. The resolution of this many to many relationship is
not within the scope of this pre-standard.
In order to differentiate them both from normal attributes and from concepts with which direct
relationships are explicitly mentioned, these features are shown apart, in a rubric called "Other features
or related entities not described in this document".
Diagrams meant to provide partial views of the system of concepts are also proposed in Annex A.
These diagrams have been simplified on purpose: they do not show all the relationships between the
concepts that are displayed, while the relationships that are present bear their cardinalities only.
It is acknowledged that in doing so, some distance is consciously taken with the basic UML
conventions.
The same pattern of rubrics is systematically provided for the description of all concepts presented in
clauses 6 to 11. Whenever not felt relevant to a given concept, these rubrics are intentionally left blank.
Examples are provided wherever felt relevant and necessary. However, in general, examples for
superordinate concepts are to be sought at the level of the corresponding subordinate concepts.
2. Normative references
This European pre-standard incorporates, by dated or undated reference, provisions from other
publications. These normative references are cited at the appropriate places in the text and the
publications are listed below. For dated references, subsequent amendments to or revisions of any of
these publications apply to this European pre-standard only when incorporated in it by amendment or
revision. For undated references the latest edition of the publication referred to applies.
ISO 6523:1984 Data inter change — Structure for the identification of organisations
ISO/DIS 10241:1992 Inter national Terminology Standards
Preparation and Layout
(currently under revision)
ISO/CD 1087- 1:1994 T erminology — Vocabulary
ENV 1613:1995 Medic al Informatics — Messages for exchange of laboratory information.
ENV 12264:1997 Medic al Informatics — Categorial Structures of System of Concepts —
Model for the Representation of Semantics
ENV 12265:1997 Medic al Informatics — Electronic health care record architecture
ENV 12381:1996 Medic al Informatics — Time Standards for Health Care Specific Problems
ENV 12017:1997 Medic al Informatics — Medical Informatics Vocabulary
ENV 12967-1:1998 Medic al Informatics — Health Care Information System Architecture
Part 1: Health Care Middleware Layer
ENV 13606-1:2000 Health Inf ormatics — Electronic Health Care Record Communication
Part 1: Extended Health Care Record Architecture
ENV 13606-2:2000 Health Inf ormatics — Electronic Health Care Record Communication
Part 2: Domain Term List
ENV 13606-3:2000 Health Inf ormatics — Electronic Health Care Record Communication
Part 3: Distribution Rules
ENV 13606-4:2000 Health Inf ormatics — Electronic Health Care Record Communication
Part 4: Messages for the Exchange of
3. Definitions
For the purposes of this European pre-standard, the following definitions (listed in alphabetical order)
apply.
3.1 Care Mandate : mandate assigned to one health care party to perform health care services for
a subject of care, as well as to manage locally the information related to the health of that subject of
care.
3.2 Care Plan : description of planned and duly personalised services bundles, addressing one or
more health issues, and encompassing all health care services to be provided to a subject of care by
one health care professional.
3.3 Clinical Data for Import : record component that is candidate for import into the health care
record held locally by a health care party after a health care professional has validated its clinical
relevance.
3.4 Clinical Guidelines : set of systematically developed statements to assist the decision of
health care parties about health care services to be provided with regard to a health issue in specified
clinical circumstances.
3.5 Concept : unit of thought constituted through abstraction on the basis of properties common to
a set of one or more referents. [ENV 12264:1997] [ISO CD 1087-1:1994]
3.6 Contact : situation on the uninterrupted course of which one health care provider performs
health care services for a subject of care, and/ or accesses his or her health care record.
3.7 Contact Element : part of a contact that specifically addresses one and only one health issue.
3.8 Continuity Facilitator Mandate : mandate assigned to one health care agent on behalf of a
subject of care to monitor how the successive care mandates are handled, and keep their contents at
the disposal of authorised health care agents, as well as to manage generally the information related to
this subject's of care health.
3.9 Cumulative Episode of Care : situation encompassing the occurrence of all health care
services related to only one health issue thread.
3.10 Definition : statement that describes a concept in order to permit its differentiation from
related concepts. [ENV 12264:1997]
3.11 Distribution rule : logical concept or rule intended to convey and govern distribution. [ENV
13606-3:1999]
3.12 Demand for Care : demand expressed by a health care party that health care services be
provided to a subject of care.
mandate assigned to one or more health care parties to act on behalf of a
3.13 Demand Mandate :
subject of care in demanding that those health care services that are relevant with regard to a
perceived need for care be delivered.
3.14 Deprecated term : term rejected by an authoritative body [ISO CD 1087-1:1994]
3.15 Electronic Health Care Record : health care record in computer readable form. [ENV 13606-
1 & 4]
3.16 Encounter, Patient Contact : situation on the uninterrupted course of which one health care
professional delivers health care services to a subject of care, and accesses his or her health care
record, and updates it.
3.17 Episode [time] : situation considered to occupy a time interval. [ENV 12381:1996]
3.18 Episode [continuity of care], Episode of Care : situation encompassing all contact elements
related to the same health issue.
3.19 Event : situation considered to occur at a time point. [ENV 12381:1996]
3.20 Health Care : provision of health related services.
NOTE : This includes more than performing procedures on subjects of care. It includes also,
for example, the management of the information about patients, their health status and their
relations within the health care framework.
NOTE : In the present European pre-standard, the term 'care' may be used as a synonym for
'health care'.
3.21 Health Care Activity : activity performed for a subject of care by a health care agent with the
intention of directly or indirectly improving or maintaining the health of that subject of care.
3.22 Health Care Agent : person, organisation, device, or software that performs a role in a health
care activity. [ENV 13606-4, modified]
activity performed for a subject of care by a health care
3.23 Health Care Automated Activity :
device or a health care software, without an immediate command being given by a health care
professional.
3.24 Health Care Compliant Activity : activity performed for a subject of care by any other health
care party than a health care provider.
3.25 Health Care Device : device or equipment used in the provision of health care services. [ENV
13606-4, modified]
3.26 Health Care Goal : desired achievement of a care plan, considered as an intermediate
operational step to reach the ultimate objective of a programme of care.
3.27 Health Care Objective : desired ultimate achievement of a programme of care.
3.28 Health Care Organisation : organisation involved in the direct provision of health care
services. [ENV 13606-4, modified] [ENV 1613:1995, modified]
3.29 Health Care Party : organisation or person involved in the process of health care. [ENV
13606-4, modified] [ENV 1613:1995, modified]
3.30 Health Care Professional : person involved in the direct provision of health care services.
[ENV 1613:1995, modified]
3.31 Health Care Provider : health care professional or health care organisation involved in the
direct provision of health care services.
3.32 Health Care Record : repository of information regarding the health of a subject of care. [ENV
12265] [ENV 13606-1 & 4]
activity performed for a subject of care by a health care provider with
3.33 Health Care Service :
the intention of directly or indirectly improving or maintaining the health of that subject of care. [ENV
13606-4, modified] [ENV 1613:1995, modified]
3.34 Health Care Software : software used in the provision of health care services. [ENV 13606-4,
modified]
party involved in supporting health care services, financially or
3.35 Health Care Third Party :
practically.
3.36 Health Issue : issue related to the health of a subject of care, as defined by a specific health
care party.
3.37 Health Issue Thread : abstract construct linking several health issues, defined by a health
care party.
3.38 Local Health Care Record : health care record held and maintained for a subject of care by a
health care party.
3.39 Mandate : set of statements explicitly or implicitly defining the scope and limits of the accepted
specific role of a health care party, and explicitly or implicitly delineating his responsibility with regard to
this role.
3.40 Mandate Notification : information about the changes that have occurred in the status of an
explicit mandate granted to a health care party, made available to other health care parties.
3.41 Mandate to Export Personal Data : mandate assigned to one health care professional by or
on the behalf of a subject of care by another health care party duly entitled by a relevant demand
mandate, to send out personal data to another designated health care party.
3.42 Non Validated Clinical Data : record component the clinical relevance of which has not been
validated by a health care professional.
unique framework of authority within which a person or persons act, or are
3.43 Organisation :
designated to act towards some purpose. [ISO 6523:1984]
NOTE : Groupings or subdivisions of organisations may also be considered as organisations
where there is need to identify them in this way for purposes of information interchange.
3.44 Other Carer : party providing assistance for activities of daily living, or social support.
time interval during which one or more contacts occur between a subject
3.45 Period of Service :
of care and a health care provider in the framework of a care mandate.
3.46 Programme of Care : description of planned and duly personalised services bundles adopted
by one healthcare organisation, typically informed by one or more protocols, addressing one or more
health issues, accounting for one or more health issue threads, and encompassing all health care
activities to be performed for a subject of care by one or more health care parties.
3.47 Protocol : customisation of a clinical guideline for use in a local context.
3.48 Record Access and Update : contact restricted to the access to the health care record of a
subject of care by a health care provider for reading and writing data or pieces of information, out of the
presence of that subject of care.
3.49 Record Component : part of an electronic health care record that is identifiable for the
purposes of referencing and revision. [ENV 13606-1]
3.50 Services Bundle : set of health care services to be performed, being performed, or having
been performed for a subject of care by one or more health care providers in relation to one health
issue thread, in the context of a care plan or of a programme of care.
3.51 Sharable Data : record component which a health care professional marks as sharable with
other health care parties in the interest of a subject of care.
3.52 Situation : phenomenon occurring (or having the potential to occur) at a particular time or over
a period of time in a given world context. [ENV 12381:1996, modified]
3.53 Specific Clinical Information Request : request sent out by a health care party to another
health care party in the interest and with the autorisation of a subject of care for specific clinical
information that is not present or accessible in any sharable data repository.
3.54 Subject of Care : person scheduled to receive, receiving, or having received health care
services. [ENV 13606-1: 1999, modified]
3.55 System of concepts ; concepts system : structured set of concepts established according to
the relationships between them, each concept being determined by its position in the set. [ENV
12264:1997] [ISO CD 1087-1:1994]
3.56 Tailored Clinical Information : specific clinical information with regard to a subject of care
sent by a health care party to another health care party in the interest and with the autorisation of that
subject of care, possibly as the result of a specific clinical information request, in order to fulfil the
current information needs of the recipient.
3.57 Time interval : period of time the duration of which in a given context is considered to be
significant and relevant. [ENV 12381:1996, modified]
3.58 Time point : period of time the duration of which in a given context is to be considered as
insignificant or irrelevant. [ENV 12381:1996, modified]
4. Abbreviations
The following abbreviations are used for the terms defined in this European pre-standard.
EHCR Electronic Health Care Record
GP General Medical Practitioner
HC Health Care
UML Unified Modelling Language
5. Domain description : organisational principles of longitudinal care
Various terms have been commonly used to designate and qualify the continuing process of the health
care to a subject of care. Without clear definition, there is potential for confusion, and this European
pre-standard addresses the need to clearly define such terms.
an organisational principle, where one or more health care providers deliver
Continuity of Care :
several heath care services to a subject of care. This organisational principle focuses on the time-
related links between those different health care services.
Shared Care : an organisational principle where two or more health care providers jointly co-operate to
provide health care services to a subject of care for a continuing health issue. This organisational
principle focuses on joint objectives and responsibilities.
Seamless Care : a quality principle, focusing on the timely and appropriate transfer of activity and
information, when responsibility for the delivery of health care services is wholly or partly transferred
from a health care provider to another.
NOTE : Though related, this concept of seamless care differs from the organisational principle
of "24-hours service", which may be required from a health care provider involved in a process
of care.
A consequence is that health care providers are not to be regarded in this document through
their actual identities but rather through their roles.
an organisational principle, encompassing at the same time each of continuity of
Integrated Care :
care, shared care, and seamless care.
6. Actors in Continuity of Care
6.1 Health Care Agent
Concept name : health_care_agent
Definition :
person, organisation, device, or software that performs a role in a health care activity. [ENV 13606-3, modified]
[ENV 13606-4, modified]
NOTE 1 :
This concept of health care agent can include the patients themselves, in that patients can themselves
administer their own healthcare activities and take an active part in those health care services which concern
them.
NOTE 2 :
This concept of health care agent can be used to represent any entity authorised to have access to health care
information.
Specialisation of : Generalisation of :
health_care_party
health_care_device
health_care_software
Component of : Cardinality : Aggregation of : Cardinality :
Attributes : Type : Occurrence :
Other features or related entities Type (examples) : Occurrence :
not described in this document :
Direct relationship with : Name of role : Cardinality :
mandate has_assigned zero to many
continuity_facilitator_mandate has_assigned zero to many
UML representation :
has_assigned
hc_agent
has_assigned
hc_party hc_device hc_software
0.*0.*
0.*0.*
mandate
continuity_facilitator_mandate
See also Annexs : A1, A3
6. 2 Health Care Device
Concept name : health_care_device
Definition :
device or equipment used in the provision of health care services. [ENV 13606-4, modified]
EXAMPLE :
A specific identifiable ECG machine, auto-analyser, syringe pump, etc.
Specialisation of : Generalisation of :
health_care_agent
Component of : Cardinality : Aggregation of : Cardinality :
Attributes : Type : Occurrence :
device_ID one
Other features or related entities Type (examples) : Occurrence :
not described in this document :
Direct relationship with : Name of role : Cardinality :
health_care_automated_activity performs zero to many
UML representation :
hc_agent
hc_device
performs
0.*0.*
healthcare_automated_activity
See also Annexs : A1, A6
6. 3 Health Care Software
Concept name : health_care_software
Definition :
software used in the provision of health care services. [ENV 13606-4, modified]
EXAMPLES :
EHCR system, decision support software, viewing tools.
Specialisation of : Generalisation of :
health_care_agent
Component of : Cardinality : Aggregation of : Cardinality :
Attributes : Type : Occurrence :
software_manufacturer one
software_package one
software_ID one
Other features or related entities Type (examples) : Occurrence :
not described in this document :
Direct relationship with : Name of role : Cardinality :
health_care_automated_activity performs zero to many
UML representation :
hc_agent
hc_software
performs
0.*0.*
healthcare_automated_activity
See also Annexs :A1, A6
6.4 Health Care Party
Concept name : health_care_party
Definition :
organisation or person involved in the process of health care. [ENV 13606-4, modified] [ENV 1613:1995,
modified]
NOTE 1 :
The involvement of the health care party may be direct (for example the actual provision of care), or indirect (for
example at organisational level).
NOTE 2 :
According to this definition, persons or organisations responsible for the funding, payment, or reimbursement of
health care provision are health care parties, as well as organisations responsible for health care delivery.
Thus, according to this definition, health care party is a superordinate concept to health care provider, (i.e.
health care organisation and health care professional), heath care third party, and also subject of care.
Specialisation of : Generalisation of :
health_care_agent subject_of_care
health_care_provider
health_care_third_party
Component of : Cardinality : Aggregation of : Cardinality :
Attributes : Type : Occurrence :
Other features or related entities Type (examples) : Occurrence :
not described in this document :
Direct relationship with : Name of role : Cardinality :
mandate assigns zero to many
mandate has_assigned zero to many
demand_mandate assigns zero to many
demand_mandate has_assigned zero to many
care_mandate assigns zero to many
local_health_care_record maintains zero to many
mandate_to_export_personal_data assigns zero to many
continuity_facilitator_mandate assigns zero to many
mandate_notification sends_out zero to many
health_issue_thread delineates zero to many
specific_clinical_information_request sends_out zero to many
specific_clinical_information_request receives zero to many
tailored_clinical_information sends_to zero to many
tailored_clinical_information receives zero to many
record_access_and_update is_granted zero to many
UML representation :
hc_agent
0.*0.*
record_access_and_update
mandate
0.*0.* assigns
0.*0.*
is_granted
local_hc_record 0.*0.* has_assigned
maintains
assigns 0.*0.*
hc_party
has_assigned
demand_mandate
sends_out
assigns
0.*0.*
receives
0.*0.*
0.*0.*
assigns
0.*0.* delineates
care_mandate
specific_clinical_information_request
receives
sends_out
assigns
sends_out
0.*0.*
0.*0.*
0.*0.* 0.*0.*
mandate_to_export_personal_data
tailored_clinical_information health_issue_thread
0.*0.*
mandate_notification
subject_of_care hc_provider hc_third_party 0.*0.*
continuity_facilitator_mandate
See also Annexs : A1, A4, A5, A6, A7
6.5 Subject of Care
Concept name : subject_of_care
Definition :
person scheduled to receive, receiving, or having received health care services. [ENV 13606-1: 1999, modified]
NOTE 1 :
ENV 12967-1:1996 defines a subject of care as a "person or defined group of persons having received,
receiving, or to receive health care".
Indeed, it may actually occur that a subject of care is a group of persons : a family, a therapy group, a population
based group, etc. However, for reasons that are discussed elsewhere in this document (page 118), the choice
has been made in this pre-standard to restrict the concept subject of care to an individual person.
NOTE 2 :
In the real world, a subject of care may be designated by different professions using different names, for
instance "a patient", "a client", etc.
NOTE 3 :
In most occasions, the subject of care him or herself is fully involved in the performance of health care services.
EXAMPLES :
A treated patient, a client of a physiotherapist, each particular member of a target population for screening, each
particular member of a group of diabetic persons attending a session of medical education, a person seeking a
health advice, etc.
Specialisation of : Generalisation of :
health_care_party
Component of : Cardinality : Aggregation of : Cardinality :
Attributes : Type : Occurrence :
Other features or related entities Type (examples) : Occurrence :
not described in this document :
ID one to many
address zero to many
Direct relationship with : Name of role : Cardinality :
health_issue is_subject_of one to many
mandate is_subject_of one to many
health_care_third_party is_supported_by zero to many
health_care_compliant_activity performs zero to many
health_care_service receives one to many
record_access_and_update has_granted one to many
UML representation :
hc_party
health_issue
hc_service
1.*1.*
1.*1.*
is_subject_of receives
is_subject_of 1.*1.*
has_granted
1.*1.*
record_access_and_update
mandate subject_of_care
is_supported_by
performs
0.*0.*
0.*0.*
hc_compliant_activity hc_third_party
See also Annexs : A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6
6.6 Health Care Provider
Concept name : health_care_provider
Definition :
health care professional or health care organisation involved in the direct provision of health care services.
NOTE 1 :
According to this definition, organisations responsible for the funding, payment, or reimbursement of health care
provision are not health care providers ; as per this European pre-standard they are considered as a health care
third parties.
NOTE 2 :
According to this definition, health care provider is a superordinate concept to health care organisation, and
health care professional.
Specialisation of : Generalisation of :
health_care_party health_care_organisation
health_care_professional
Component of : Cardinality : Aggregation of : Cardinality :
Attributes : Type : Occurrence :
Other features or related entities Type
...




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