Last Updated: 11/1/2018
There's been a lot of talk about Policies in the media lately around Healthcare and Healthcare Standards. Now the Healthcare Standards blog has its own published policies.
After several years of blogging, I've made a number of decisions about how I will manage this space. These are documented below, and reviewed and updated at least annually.
1. Permissions to use the Content on this Blog
If you would like to reference any post by direct link to this blog, you are free to do so.
If you would like to quote any post, image or slide published on this blog, please quote no more than two paragraphs, images or slides. Include a link to the original post and provide credit to the original author (I occasionally have guest writers). If you want to quote the entire post, please ask for permission by e-mailing me using the "contact me" link on the right hand side. I will accommodate reasonable requests.
If you are reading this blog in an RSS reader, and want to forward the complete content to a few (10 or less) other individuals, you are free to do so if you include a link to the original post (most RSS readers supporting e-mail forwarding do that already). If you want to forward it to a larger list, please ask for permission, or follow the rules for quoting above.
If you've written a post for me, you can do what you like with the content you wrote that I published, and my commentary on it. If I've written a post for you (e.g., based on a topic you suggested), and you request the ability to quote the entire content, I'll let you, provided that you include a link to the original post on this blog.
If you would like to "syndicate" the content of this blog commercially or non-commercially over the web, I will usually let you, but it requires permission. I have a few general rules I follow:
If you would like to use the content of this blog in print or other media, you must request permission from the author (usually me). I will accommodate all reasonable requests. You can reach me via the Contact Me link.
In no way are any of the aforementioned policies meant to prevent you from fairly using the content in this blog.
Reasonableness is solely determined by me, or by the original author of a post in the case where there is a guest author.
2. Content Suggestions
Suggestions for topics for me to write on are welcome. Ask me a question is a good place to start for short queries. Queries deserving longer responses can start there, or simply contact me (see below) to suggest an area that you'd like to learn more about.
However: I've had far too many unsolicted emails from people I know nothing about suggesting third party content or links. If I want a blog post from you, I'll ask for it, please don't use the email link to offer a suggested post content (I'm very selective about who writes here). The first e-mail will simply go into the bit bucket, the second will get a polite pointer to these policies, and continued persistence will make me add a spam rule.
3. Contact Me
Use the Contact Me link on this site to send me an e-mail. I will consider speaking engagements and teaching opportunities where those do not conflict with my current employment. My employer consults on HIE and interoperability strategy if you are looking for advice in these areas.
4. Advertising
I do not accept advertising nor receive payment for providing links to your product, web site or other service on this space. I will not include any automated advertising from Google or any other source on this blog.
If I see a web site I really like that I think my readers will like, I will consider including a link to it on this blog, either in a single post or on the toolbar, for as long as I desire. My bar is set very high for putting links on my site. It needs to be as valuable to my readers (e.g., like the NIST CDA Validator), and freely accessible to all who want to access it.
I may recommend products, services and other commercial and/or non-commercial offerings to my readers. These recommendations are my own, and should not be considered to be recommendations of my employer or the standards organizations that I participate in. I expect this to be a rare event (there's only so many books I can write in a year).
5. Comments
I would appreciate it if you use some sort of identity to post comments, but it is no longer required (Blogger's SPAM detection has eliminated the need). OpenID or just about any other sort of easily obtainable identity will work. If SPAM becomes a problem again, I may change this policy in the future, or may even choose to moderate comments in the future.
Comments containing profanity or links to pornographic material will be viciously deleted. My daughter is a pre-teen and occasionally reads this blog.
SPAM will also be deleted. I consider SPAM to be posts which include content not relevant to the topic of the post, and which does not contribute to the discussion. This usually includes, but is not limited to, advertising for products or services alone in a comment.
You can violently disagree with me all you like. Keep it clean and I will keep the post, and even engage in dialogue.
If you want to post a comment that includes a link to your blog or website containing relevant content, feel free to do so (I do that quite a bit myself). Please make sure the link has a readable title so that my readers will know where they are going and what they might be reading before they get there. Provided your blog posting follows my rules for comments regarding profanity, pornography and SPAM, I will not delete it.
Comments where the sole purpose is to drive traffic to a commercial web-site, such as "Great topic, for more on it see LINK", or where the user profile is a link to a promotional site will be considered SPAM. If it adds nothing to the conversation, I'll delete it. I don't mind if your user id links to your site, but if all you appear to be doing is driving link traffic or Search Engine Optimization, I don't want any part of it.
Please do not use comments as a way to "send me an e-mail". That is what the contact me link on this site is for. Comments that appear to be personal communications and which do not contribute to the conversation will also be deleted.
E-mail comments are always appreciated, but if you have something really important to say, please say it publicly so that others can benefit from the discussion. If you e-mail a comment on any post I make, be advised that I might copy the content attributing it to an anonymous reader. If for some reason, you can only e-mail me a comment, rather than post one on this blog, but would like it to be attributed to you, let me know that is your desire in your e-mail.
6. Opinions on this Blog
The opinions represented in this blog are my own, and not that of my employer or the respective standards organizations that I work with. I'm not a lawyer OR a physician, and when I give commentary on regulations, it's not legal advice, or on healthcare processes, medical advice. You get what you pay for.
7. Commercial Products
I do not discuss my employer's products on this blog, nor will I answer questions about them here (although I will attempt to ensure all comments are forwarded to the appropriate parties). Any such questions or comments will be removed. Similarly, I will not typically give advice on any other Healthcare vendor products that are intended for use by Healthcare professionals. Note: This doesn't prevent me from speaking about my own experiences with other commercial products that I personally have acquired and/or used, as I'm not a licensed healthcare professional.
8. Disclaimers
I am not a lawyer, doctor or regulator. I don't pretend to give medical or legal advice on healthcare issues. I am an expert on certain healthcare interoperability standards, upon which I express my own opinions and observations. The information provided on this blog is intended to complement and not replace that of medical (or other) experts.
This information is free. You get what you pay for, including the fact that you assume of all risk in acting on the opinions expressed in this blog.
There's been a lot of talk about Policies in the media lately around Healthcare and Healthcare Standards. Now the Healthcare Standards blog has its own published policies.
After several years of blogging, I've made a number of decisions about how I will manage this space. These are documented below, and reviewed and updated at least annually.
1. Permissions to use the Content on this Blog
If you would like to reference any post by direct link to this blog, you are free to do so.
If you would like to quote any post, image or slide published on this blog, please quote no more than two paragraphs, images or slides. Include a link to the original post and provide credit to the original author (I occasionally have guest writers). If you want to quote the entire post, please ask for permission by e-mailing me using the "contact me" link on the right hand side. I will accommodate reasonable requests.
If you are reading this blog in an RSS reader, and want to forward the complete content to a few (10 or less) other individuals, you are free to do so if you include a link to the original post (most RSS readers supporting e-mail forwarding do that already). If you want to forward it to a larger list, please ask for permission, or follow the rules for quoting above.
If you've written a post for me, you can do what you like with the content you wrote that I published, and my commentary on it. If I've written a post for you (e.g., based on a topic you suggested), and you request the ability to quote the entire content, I'll let you, provided that you include a link to the original post on this blog.
If you would like to "syndicate" the content of this blog commercially or non-commercially over the web, I will usually let you, but it requires permission. I have a few general rules I follow:
- Any syndication of this blog needs to be in media content that I feel is something that makes sense for this blog to participate in. I wouldn't mind seeing this content be syndicated in a website that contains mostly healthcare content or standards related content, but I would be rather not include it in sites where it "doesn't fit", or where I disagree with the purpose or intent of that site.
- Same day syndication is not something I usually do. I don't want to have to compete with my own content in the first 24 hours of posting it.
If you would like to use the content of this blog in print or other media, you must request permission from the author (usually me). I will accommodate all reasonable requests. You can reach me via the Contact Me link.
In no way are any of the aforementioned policies meant to prevent you from fairly using the content in this blog.
Reasonableness is solely determined by me, or by the original author of a post in the case where there is a guest author.
2. Content Suggestions
Suggestions for topics for me to write on are welcome. Ask me a question is a good place to start for short queries. Queries deserving longer responses can start there, or simply contact me (see below) to suggest an area that you'd like to learn more about.
However: I've had far too many unsolicted emails from people I know nothing about suggesting third party content or links. If I want a blog post from you, I'll ask for it, please don't use the email link to offer a suggested post content (I'm very selective about who writes here). The first e-mail will simply go into the bit bucket, the second will get a polite pointer to these policies, and continued persistence will make me add a spam rule.
Use the Contact Me link on this site to send me an e-mail. I will consider speaking engagements and teaching opportunities where those do not conflict with my current employment. My employer consults on HIE and interoperability strategy if you are looking for advice in these areas.
4. Advertising
I do not accept advertising nor receive payment for providing links to your product, web site or other service on this space. I will not include any automated advertising from Google or any other source on this blog.
If I see a web site I really like that I think my readers will like, I will consider including a link to it on this blog, either in a single post or on the toolbar, for as long as I desire. My bar is set very high for putting links on my site. It needs to be as valuable to my readers (e.g., like the NIST CDA Validator), and freely accessible to all who want to access it.
I may recommend products, services and other commercial and/or non-commercial offerings to my readers. These recommendations are my own, and should not be considered to be recommendations of my employer or the standards organizations that I participate in. I expect this to be a rare event (there's only so many books I can write in a year).
5. Comments
I would appreciate it if you use some sort of identity to post comments, but it is no longer required (Blogger's SPAM detection has eliminated the need). OpenID or just about any other sort of easily obtainable identity will work. If SPAM becomes a problem again, I may change this policy in the future, or may even choose to moderate comments in the future.
Comments containing profanity or links to pornographic material will be viciously deleted. My daughter is a pre-teen and occasionally reads this blog.
SPAM will also be deleted. I consider SPAM to be posts which include content not relevant to the topic of the post, and which does not contribute to the discussion. This usually includes, but is not limited to, advertising for products or services alone in a comment.
You can violently disagree with me all you like. Keep it clean and I will keep the post, and even engage in dialogue.
If you want to post a comment that includes a link to your blog or website containing relevant content, feel free to do so (I do that quite a bit myself). Please make sure the link has a readable title so that my readers will know where they are going and what they might be reading before they get there. Provided your blog posting follows my rules for comments regarding profanity, pornography and SPAM, I will not delete it.
Comments where the sole purpose is to drive traffic to a commercial web-site, such as "Great topic, for more on it see LINK", or where the user profile is a link to a promotional site will be considered SPAM. If it adds nothing to the conversation, I'll delete it. I don't mind if your user id links to your site, but if all you appear to be doing is driving link traffic or Search Engine Optimization, I don't want any part of it.
Please do not use comments as a way to "send me an e-mail". That is what the contact me link on this site is for. Comments that appear to be personal communications and which do not contribute to the conversation will also be deleted.
E-mail comments are always appreciated, but if you have something really important to say, please say it publicly so that others can benefit from the discussion. If you e-mail a comment on any post I make, be advised that I might copy the content attributing it to an anonymous reader. If for some reason, you can only e-mail me a comment, rather than post one on this blog, but would like it to be attributed to you, let me know that is your desire in your e-mail.
6. Opinions on this Blog
The opinions represented in this blog are my own, and not that of my employer or the respective standards organizations that I work with. I'm not a lawyer OR a physician, and when I give commentary on regulations, it's not legal advice, or on healthcare processes, medical advice. You get what you pay for.
7. Commercial Products
I do not discuss my employer's products on this blog, nor will I answer questions about them here (although I will attempt to ensure all comments are forwarded to the appropriate parties). Any such questions or comments will be removed. Similarly, I will not typically give advice on any other Healthcare vendor products that are intended for use by Healthcare professionals. Note: This doesn't prevent me from speaking about my own experiences with other commercial products that I personally have acquired and/or used, as I'm not a licensed healthcare professional.
8. Disclaimers
I am not a lawyer, doctor or regulator. I don't pretend to give medical or legal advice on healthcare issues. I am an expert on certain healthcare interoperability standards, upon which I express my own opinions and observations. The information provided on this blog is intended to complement and not replace that of medical (or other) experts.
This information is free. You get what you pay for, including the fact that you assume of all risk in acting on the opinions expressed in this blog.
