The word “Team” keeps recurring in the world of Health IT—and perhaps for an obvious reason—successful teams build better outcomes.  This week I experienced perhaps the best collaboration yet in promoting nutrition within EHRs and all of health care.  Yesterday we presented to the ONC Standards & Interoperability Framework’s Transitions of Care Initiative Clinical Information Model Work Group.    A long name with powerful potential.  Due to a host of complicated schedules, we had less than 72 hours to compile a presentation (See TOC CIM Nutrition PPT) on the standards and terminology work that ADA has completed. This discussion allowed us to recommend that the Nutrition Care Process (NCP) and International Dietetics and Nutrition Terminology ( IDNT) --and eventually SNOMED-CT nutrition terms--be part of the Clinical Information Model  for healthcare transitions.   

As is typical for dietitians who thrive in an information rich environment, there is lots of information in the PPT, but it allows a great overview of how dietitians need the NCP and IDNT to function in a digital health care environment.  Here’s the great team who contributed, graciously and helped present the information to the Work Group:

Margaret Dittloff (Chair, Nutrition Informatics Committee’s Sub-Committee on Interoperability and Standards)

Kay Howarter (Senior Research Manager, ADA Staff)

Curt Calder (Intermountain Health Care, Lead on IDNT Mapping to SNOMED)

Maggie Gilligan (Nutrition Informatics Committee’s Sub-Committee on Interoperability and Standards)

John Snyder (Nutrition Informatics Committee’s Sub-Committee on Interoperability and Standards)

What is unique about this team effort is that all members worked on very short notice, collaboratively and put the interest of the profession first—before any self interests—to create the best possible combination of subject matter expertise.  I was merely the facilitator; this was a great lesson in – being quiet and letting the others demonstrate their knowledge.  The mere process alone was a victory for me!  I look forward to continuing this teamwork (and can only hope for more lead time in the discussion next time.