CCD is an acronym that stands for “Continuity of Care Document”. The CCD is a file that uses Extensible Markup Language (XML) format, which could have one of 3 different structure levels. I will explain the various structure levels in Part III of this blog series. A CCD contains patient related information that could be electronically exchanged between healthcare providers, as well as, shared with the patients themselves.
The CCD template, derived from the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Continuity of Care Record template or ASTM E2369-05 Standard Specification, or simply stated the CCR. The CCD is constrained by the HL7 (Health Level Seven) Clinical Document Architecture (CDA). The CDA adheres to the HL7 V3.0 Reference Information Model or RIM.
