Advancing e-Health Standards: Roles of Stakeholders

1. Joint ITU-WHO Workshop on e-Health Standards and Interoperability(Geneva, Switzerland, 26-27 April 2012) Introduction to session 7 - “Advancing e-health standards: Roles and responsibilities of stakeholders”​ Marco Carugi ITU-T SG13 vice-Chair, Q3/13 Rapporteur and FG M2M Service Layer vice-Chair ZTE Corporation Marco.Carugi@zte.com.cn

2. Information update on ITU-T Focus Group on M2M Service Layer • Established in January 2012 • First meeting: 17-18 April 2012, ITU, Geneva • Next meeting: 26-28 June 2012, Beijing, hosted by CCSA/CATR, teleconference facilities available • To study requirements and specifications for a common Machine-to-Machine (M2M) Service Layer • Cost-efficient platform • Across vertical markets • Multi-vendor environment • Initial focus of the Focus Group: E-Health • Working structure • WG1 Use cases and service models • WG2 Requirements and architectural framework of the M2M Service Layer • WG3 API and protocols (it will start later) NOTE : Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications are considered to be a key enabler of applications and services across a broad range of vertical domains (e.g., health-care, logistics, transport, utilities, smart home etc.)

3. Information update (continued): work programmes - 1 • WG1 Use cases and service models • (E-Health) definitions, terminology, taxonomies • Use cases (templates ? which services (categories) ?) • Ecosystem including business roles and key actors • Service Models • WG2 Requirements and architectural framework of the M2M Service Layer • Common understanding on M2M reference model and M2M Service Layer • Requirements of the M2M Service Layer • common to different application domains • specific to E-Health • M2M Service Layer architectural framework: M2M Service Layer capabilities and functional components, reference points

4. Information update (continued): work programmes - 2 • WG3 API and protocols • Framework of APIs and protocols for M2M • APIs and protocols for specific M2M interfaces • High reusability of existing specifications is assumed • Need to identify specific interfaces - E-Health focus • Other planned deliverables • Collection of E-Health relevant activities from SDOs • Gap analysis (which level of analysis) • Action plan for future development of ITU-T standards • An usual recommendation from a closing FG [the produced deliverables, potential work items recommended for future work]

5. Information update (continued): coordination aspects • FG M2M will coordinate with other standardization efforts within and outside ITU-T • FG M2M aims at including vertical market stakeholders that are not part of traditional ITU-T membership and collaborating with M2M communities worldwide (incl. research, academia) • WHO and Continua Health Alliance present at 1st meeting, invitations planned to other SDOs • Input welcome: Focus Group is open to any individual from a country which is a member of ITU and willing to contribute • Please see the FG terms of Reference and additional information at www.itu.int/en/ITU-T/focusgroups/m2m/

6. Some messages concerning E-Health technical standardization and interoperability I have captured from workshop’s talks - 1 • Fragmentation of standards, pilots, (techno-based) systems • Multiple stakeholders, multiple/lack of policies, uncertain regulatory models, country and regional levels (but also market driven, borderless) • Some existing standards could do much already but often not well known/known only to some (education, implementation practices) • A number of non-technical barriers to standards adoption and compliance • Coordination of information, Collaboration and harmonization among SDOs is needed • Shared vision: mission/expectations of E-Health in 5 years • Global and collaborative standards roadmap based on common understanding of the work scope, priorities (services, technical areas, system interfaces), which standards already exist, which gaps and missing areas • Standards should be accessible to all and free of charge

7. Some messages concerning E-Health technical standardization and interoperability I have captured from workshop’s talks - 2 • Interoperability, Compatibility, Scalability, Portability • QoS, Security and Privacy, still allowing the required information exchange • Impact on standards of legal and regulatory frameworks (e.g. digital signage, authentication) • Impact on standards of economic aspects (e.g. service models and stakeholders, new business models) • Synergy between E-Health development and other ICT efforts: digital agenda; cloud, grid, M2M and social/Web 2.0 technology penetration in networks; smart mobile devices; global e-service frameworks - but also consider E-Health specifics (cloud quality label) • Exploit commonalities across different vertical application domains operated on the same network infrastructure (e.g. E-Health, ITS, smart home etc.)

8. Some messages concerning E-Health technical standardization and interoperability I have captured from workshop’s talks - 3 • Flexible approaches in standards development (e.g. profiles, templates, incremental interoperability, cross-border targets) • “Semantically annotated Web Services” as promising interim approach for interoperability • Application adaptation to environmental technical constraints (e.g. to mobile device capabilities) • Technical platforms are a good supporting tool to show/validate usage of standards (implementation practices) • Interoperability events are also very useful • Global dialogue towards E-Health standards and interoperability should continue under coordination of WHO and ITU involving all relevant stakeholders

9. Session 7 “Advancing e-health standards: Roles and responsibilities of stakeholders” • This session is to capture your inputs for development of the next steps of the expected collaborative effort

10. Which (categories of) stakeholders ? • Users (patients, communities, health institutions, governments etc.) • Medical staff (doctors, experts, hospitals etc.) • Partners (e.g. application developers) • Vendors and operators of device, network and service infrastructure • Standards Development Organizations • Policy makers, regulators • Donors (and coordination among them) • Others ? • Which Roles and Responsibilities ? • Priorities, technical requirements, identified issues ?

11. Session 7 chair’s personal inputs on technical aspects • Identification of (categories of) stakeholders • Their roles and responsibilities in E-Health value chain • Shared technical ground and work scope: which services and use cases, service models, environment assumptions, terminology and taxonomies, global architecture framework ? • Priorities, technical requirements and identified issues from each stakeholder (category) • SDOs’ landscape positioning, E-Health standards status • Gap analysis of these (technical) standards • Global and shared E-Health standards roadmap (items and priorities, stakeholders’ roles and responsibilities) • Collaboration in progressing the roadmap • Validation of the progress (e.g. interoperability events etc.)