The HL7 Context-Aware Knowledge Retrieval Standard provides a standard mechanism for EHR systems and knowledge resources to communicate, implementing infobutton capabilities. The Infobutton Standard consists of the following specifications (links to download the specifications at the HL7 Web site are provided below):

• Context Aware Knowledge Retrieval Application (“Infobutton”), Knowledge Request - normative specification that includes a domain analysis model and a message information model. By itself, this specification is not implementable.
• URL-based implementation guide, Release 4 - specifies infobutton knowledge requests in a URL format
• Infobutton Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) Implementation Guide, Release 1 - RESTful specification an knowledge response in XML and JSON formats.

The Infobutton Standard is being continuously improved and expanded. Conference calls are held every other Tuesday at 4pm ET and are open to the public. Minutes, slide decks, and draft specifications are posted to the HL7 Clinical Decision Support Work Group site.

In addition to the specifications above, the following resources provide a good overview for those who are getting started:

• A paper published in the Journal of Biomedical Informatics
• HL7 Webinar on the Infobutton Standard (free access)