How Will AHRQ Continue to Refine the Common Formats?
AHRQ is committed to continuing refinement of the Common Formats. The Agency is specifically interested in obtaining feedback from both the private and public sectors—particularly from those who use the Common Formats—and it has established a process to receive initial feedback that will guide rapid improvement of the formats. Using the feedback received, AHRQ plans to release a second version of the formats in 6-9 months, or perhaps sooner, depending on the nature of the initial feedback. Once the formats are stabilized, AHRQ plans to release new versions annually. AHRQ plans to maintain information on the Common Formats, including technical specifications, data element definitions, and vendor specifications, at The United States Health Information Knowledgebase (USHIK).
