FAQs

What Are Data Standards?  

Data (or technical/technology) standards are agreed-upon rules, definitions, methods, and/or technologies by which data are described and recorded. With shared format and meaning, data standards make it easier to create, share, and integrate data.  
 
For more information on common terms used throughout the MedBiquitous^® Program, review our “Glossary of Standards Terms.”

Why Does the Health Professions Education and Credentialing Community Need Technology Standards? 

Standards are a key element of the infrastructure that is essential to track clinical education and training, measure the efficacy of data, integrate education and improvement resources with systems at the point of care, deploy online courses in different environments, and link education and performance data to core competencies and curricula.  

What Are the Benefits of Creating Standards?

XML, JSON, and web services standards make it easier to find information and conduct online transactions. In the airline industry, for example, there are standards for travel information that allow computer systems to exchange data with one another. These standards, in turn, enabled the development of software tools that allow internet users to search several airlines for flights meeting their travel criteria. 

In addition, standards can save programming and administrative time and effort, thereby saving money. Instead of building new applications from scratch, organizations can weave together standards-based components to create an integrated solution efficiently. Providing automated ways for systems to work together dramatically reduces the time and costs associated with importing new information into existing systems. Technology standards also provide the opportunity for organizations to work together in new and innovative ways. 

For more information about standards and how they are created, visit the “MedBiquitous Standards” page.

What Is Interoperability? 

Interoperability is the ability of computer software and systems to connect, communicate, and share information.  

For more information on common terms used throughout the MedBiquitous Program, review our “Glossary of Standards Terms.”

What Is the MedBiquitous Process?

As part of the MedBiquitous community, individuals and organizations can engage the MedBiquitous process to develop technology standards for health care education, competence assessment, and quality improvement. The process is a rigorous exercise with the goal of remaining ahead of the curve as technology evolves. Each step of the process relies on stakeholder input.

If I Participate in the MedBiquitous Process or Utilize the Standards in the MedBiquitous Collection, Do I Have to Share My Data? 

No. Participating in the MedBiquitous process or using the standards does not require sharing your data.