The big question is, how does it affect us?
How can it possibly be a bad thing?
--Tim
It isn't, cost is not a question on the debate anymore. Very smart
move by HL7 folks.
The big question is, how does it affect us?
HL7 is primary a way of messaging. In the Netherlands HL7 is very important, as message format. All (I mean ALL) the underlying systems which create the messages have legacy datamodel-storage.
There is no such thing as an HL7v3 storage system on the dutch market.
Also an OpenEHR system can create HL7 messages, especially those message-definitions which are created for the Netherlands, which are created with focus on interoperability, to get all the legacy-systems possible to join.
So, I see no big change for the Dutch market. Anyway, costs were never an issue.
HL7 is also a storage concept, and I have been to some HL7-meetings, where they discuss these kind of things.
Without any hesitation, I saw people admiring HL7 systems which needed 50 to 100 tables to store their thing, and which auto-created SQL-statements from 250!!! lines to query the thing.
That is not my way to go, especially if the purpose is interoperability by creating the specially defined RMIM-messages, which are written with focus on legacy to incorporate in the messaging-EPD.
As I know the market in the Netherlands, I know it well, my expectation is that legacy will dominate the progression next ten years, or even longer.
We even have systems which are just five years ago ported to 32 bits Windows (from 16 bits), and still use an old fashioned API-based database. This is one of the richest healthcare-environments in the world.
That is what is going on.
So HL7 for free, nice, we can conform to the message-definitions for free, and if system-builders succeed in free themselves from their academic way of software-constructing and legacy and can use HL7 constructs to store their data quick, they have an easy way for creating the messages.
(Hey HL7 folks, the secret for you is XPath, oops, now I gave away the secret.)
Fine. Let a thousand flowers bloom.
When we are confident in our own software, there is nothing to fear from HL7.
That is my opinion.
kind regards
Bert Verhees
So then all they have to do is to create as good stuff as openEHR does ha 
Don't tell this - I'm a board member of HL7 NZ 
I'd like to see this as a big step towards 'consolidation' of eHealth standards (heard from Ed when he was here and agree)...I don't believe in harmonisation as neither do I support the idea of mappings etc.
I can't think of any better global platform to embrace other cool stuff required for 'healthy' working of systems - why not openEHR?
Cheers,
-koray
Dear All,
I have been asking for more than 2 years for HL7 to become simplified and free- to-use, so that it could proliferate globally. So this is good news.....however I still await details. Like - (1) what is free, (2) how long is it free, (3) what does 'free' really mean, (4) how soon will it become free(time lines) and (5) what are the rules for commercial use and localisation .
It is V2.x that especially needs to be made free as this is the version that is the real work horse.
There is also a related issue. How will this effect HL7 membership fees - for members and franchisees.
With warm regards,
Dr D Lavanian
MBBS,MD
CEO and MD
HCIT Consultant
www.hcitconsultant.com
www.telemedconsultant.com
Certified HL7 Specialist
Joint Secretary - Indian Association for Medical Informatics
Co-Chair, Memberships - HL7 India
Senior Consultant and Domain Expert - Healthcare Informatics and TeleHealth
Former Vice President - Healthcare Products, Bilcare Ltd
Former Vice President - Software Division, AxSys Healthtech Ltd
Former Co-convener Sub committee on Standards , Government of India, Task force for Telemedicine
Former Vice President - Telemedicine (Technical), Apollo Hospitals Group
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Part of the “hl7 fresh look” or just common sense. Anyway,this is the right way if they want global adoption
The internet/web is the better example of global interoperability, the key?: open standards
I think I have read they want to move to a more W3C kind of model: if
you want the standards you can use them, but if you want to contribute
to their development you still have to be an HL7 member