" Standardization in the field of Health Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to achieve compatibility and interoperability between independent systems and to enable modularity. This includes requirements on health information structure to support clinical and administrative procedures, technical methods to support interoperable systems as well as requirements regarding safety, security and quality. " The work of CEN TC 251 is carried out in the following Working Groups:

• Information models (WG I): ("Models of electronic healthcare records as well as general message descriptions. Subdivision into task forces for different fields of healthcare e.g. blood transfusion, physiology, pharmacology, psychiatry and nursing. "
• Terminology and knowledge representation (WG II): "The semantic organisation of information so as to make it of practical use in the domains of healthcare informatics. The actual work items focuses on interrelationships of concepts and on structures for concepts systems. "
• Security, Safety and Quality (WG III): "Techniques for technical protection of confidentiality, integrity, availability and accountability as well as guidelines for security management."
• Technology for Interoperability (WG IV): "Work on middleware and most of the work on medical imaging and multimedia (although the focus in this area is on international standards) and medical device communication in integrated healthcare."