ASTM International and AIIM, the international authority on Enterprise Content Management, have now published the Best Practices Guide – PDF Healthcare (AIIM/ASTM BP-01-2008).

This document describes a proposed, voluntary, industry-wide reference tool and guideline to describe the features and functionality of the Portable Document Format (PDF) for the healthcare industry. It is designed to facilitate a means by which healthcare information is captured, exchanged, preserved and protected so that participants within the healthcare system can use the well-known and trusted PDF specification as the electronic container of the information.

AIIM/ASTM BP-01-2008 was developed to promote and accelerate the adoption of a digital healthcare record model using XML-based standards. With the introduction of complex healthcare industry legal and regulatory requirements that directly impact the patient and healthcare provider, the adoption of the PDF Healthcare Best Practices Guide will be driven by the need for usability, portability, simplicity and availability of healthcare information.

"It has been a truly productive partnership between ASTM and AIIM in developing this new voluntary Best Practices Guide for the many uses of PDF in health care, and I am very proud of the work that has been done and grateful to all who participated in the effort,” says David Kibbe, MD and chair of ASTM International Committee E31 on Healthcare Informatics. “We foresee any number of pilot projects and demonstrations occurring in 2008 and beyond that will prove the value of combining the document management assets of PDF with the structured content of both existing electronic document formats and the new XML-based standards. The ubiquity and ease-of-use of PDF will be a real plus in helping patients and consumers to access and use their own health records for continuity of health care."

"Using PDF in healthcare will greatly improve the communications between patients and their providers and all the members of the healthcare chain as well as provide greater control of the patient information," said John Mancini, President, AIIM. "This will ensure that the patient is an active participant in the exchange of critical healthcare information."

ASTM International standards can be purchased from Customer Service (phone: 610/832-9585; https://www.astm.org/contact/) or at www.astm.org. Committee E31 meets May 17-18 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. For membership or meeting information, contact Daniel Smith, Technical Committee Operations, ASTM International (phone: 610/832-9727; dsmith@astm.org).

Release #7933