[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 116 (Friday, June 17, 1994)] [Unknown Section] [Page 0] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 94-14776] [[Page Unknown]] [Federal Register: June 17, 1994] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Institute of Standards and Technology [Docket No. 940370-4070] Announcement of an Opportunity To Join a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement on Healthcare Information Technology Architecture Standards (HITAS) AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce. ACTION: Notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) invites interested parties to participate in a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to establish a healthcare information system. The infrastructure will include application platform, application software, storage, human/computer interaction, and communication technologies. It will share medical information while maintaining confidentiality of patient data. Through the CRADA, called the ``Forum on Healthcare Information Technology Architecture Standards'', NIST will provide the mechanism for industry and users to resolve standards-related technical issues that currently inhibit deployment of medical information technology products. Parties interested in participating in the CRADA should be prepared to invest adequate resources in the collaboration and be firmly committed to the goal of rapid development and deployment of new healthcare information technology. The program will be within the scope and confines of The Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986 (Public Law 99-502, 15 U.S.C. 3710a), which provides federal laboratories including NIST, with the authority to enter into cooperative research agreements with qualified parties. Under this law, NIST may contribute personnel, equipment and facilities--but no funds--to the cooperative research program. Members will be expected to make a contribution to the forum's efforts in the form of materials, equipment, personnel, and/or funds. The program is expected to last three years. This is not a grant program. DATES: Detailed planning for the consortium began on March 1, 1994. Interested parties should contact NIST to confirm their interest at the address, telephone number or FAX number shown below no later than July 15, 1994. ADDRESSES: Mr. F. Schulz, Building 225, Room B-266, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:Mr. F. Schulz, Telephone: 301-975-2192; FAX 301-926-3696. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) invites interested parties to participate in a forum to establish a healthcare information system infrastructure. Through the CRADA, NIST will provide a venue and process for industry and users to resolve standards-related technical issues. This project is based upon a shared, global vision of a large scale distributed healthcare information infrastructure which will encompass application platform, application software, storage, human/computer interaction, and communication technologies, integrated via object oriented middleware. The new infrastructure will share medical information while maintaining the security and confidentiality of patient data. The CRADA will also provide links among the user requirement-driven Open Systems Environment Implementors Workshop (OIW), the consensus- driven base standards community, and the market-driven technical community to reduce time-to-market for complex technical products requiring simultaneous consensus in a variety of technical areas. International market input from the workshops and the standards community are crucial to meeting government and industry objectives for common solutions across the global marketplace. Coordination with accredited U.S. and international standards groups is an important aspect of this partnership. Participants will be assured of the technical and economic feasibility of the resultant technical products. This will accelerate acceptance of the specifications, promote rapid development of commercial products, and contribute to earlier deployment of technology to meet user needs. Dated: June 13, 1994. Samuel Kramer, Associate Director. [FR Doc. 94-14776 Filed 6-16-94; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-13-M