ISO TR 17119:2005 provides a common description framework for health informatics standards artefacts. The aim of the health informatics profiling framework (HIPF) is to provide a consistent method for describing and classifying artefacts within the domain of health informatics standards.

The HIPF establishes common concepts and a vocabulary for describing the complex domain of various informatics standards initiatives and their supporting artefacts. The use of the HIPF should promote the reuse of health informatics knowledge and improve the identification of opportunities for informatics standards alignment, collaboration and coordination.