Electronic Data Standards Are Coming

Originally Published MX July/August 2003

INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS

Electronic Data Standards Are Coming

A call to action is being answered by a coalition of interested supply-chain parties.

Joe Pleasant

Retail organizations rely on standardized data to keep track of products flowing into and out of their stores. In a competitive business environment, their financial viability can depend on this technology. While consumers appreciate knowing that stores are likely to have what they want when they want it, medical patients have a natural interest in data standards that goes deeper, for such data management can be a matter of life or death. Standards for the electronic data shared by hospitals and the healthcare industry supply chain are surprisingly lacking, however. Inefficiencies still plague this environment.

The Need for Standards