RESUMEN
The present descriptive-comparative study was conducted to give an overview of the messaging standards that are necessary for interoperable electronic health records [EHRs]. We designed a preliminary model after data collection and compared the messaging standards of Health Level Seven [HL7] and the International Organization for Standardization [ISO]. The data were assessed with the Delphi technique. A comprehensive model for the messaging standards of EHRs in the Islamic Republic of Iran was presented in three pivots: structural characteristics [standard for all EHRs, XML-based and object-oriented messages, and dual model]; model specifications [reference model, archetypes and classes of reference model], and general features [distinct ontology, mapping with other standards, and using reference archetypes for exchanging documents]. In conclusion, we gave an overview of messaging standards for the interoperability of EHRs and experts selected ISO13606 as a suitable standard for the Islamic Republic of Iran