HL7 International developed and nurtured the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resource data standard. FHIR was designed with the complexity of healthcare data in mind, using a modern, internet-based approach to connect various discrete elements.
Patient-Centered Approach
A patient-centered approach to FHIR enables physicians to share health records in real-time, improving patient care. Its open standard format enables a broader range of providers to share information. The HL7 fast healthcare interoperability resources standard is based on widely-adopted data standards and enables vendors and providers to participate in health data exchange activities in a vendor-neutral manner.
Patient-centered data exchange is critical for improving patient outcomes and reducing costs for healthcare systems. FHIR enables secure, seamless interoperability, ultimately improving patient care and lowering healthcare costs. As a result, providers will benefit from better care, increased transparency, and more effective care collaboration.
Increasing amounts of patient-generated health data pose new challenges for healthcare organizations. Many health professionals are overwhelmed by digital patient data and unsure how to use it.
Interoperability
FHIR is a standard for electronic health record exchange used by health systems and other health IT providers. However, many healthcare providers confuse FHIR with HL7, a group of international standards for clinical messaging. HL7 supports standardized terminology, formats, and secure communications in healthcare systems.
In addition to improving efficiency, FHIR improves patient care by increasing interoperability. It provides clear rules and guidelines for software developers to build healthcare applications that are interoperable with each other. As long as these rules are followed, developers can create seamlessly integrated applications.
FHIR is a Health Level Seven International standard and next-generation exchange framework. By creating a standardized format for patient data exchange, FHIR aims to unify electronic health records, enabling them to be integrated with other information systems. FHIR combines the best features of previous standards and is flexible enough to meet a range of use cases. It is designed to make healthcare data exchange easier, and its web-based implementation facilitates rapid adoption.
Developer-Friendly
Developer-friendly features of FHIR allow users to build a seamless healthcare experience, regardless of platform. For example, if a patient wears a wearable device, FHIR can make that experience seamless and efficient. Additionally, FHIR APIs standardize common administrative workflows. Lastly, FHIR enables patient-generated health data to be integrated into workflows.
Developer-friendly features of FHIR include open APIs that make it easy to create an FHIR-compatible app. For example, a blood-pressure app can be built using FHIR’s Observation resource. It could expose two separate measurements or one observation that contains both systolic and diastolic measurements. In addition, the SMART project’s latest platform offering, SMART on FHIR, allows developers to create medical apps and provide plug-and-play usability.
Developer-friendly features of FHIR include easy resource navigation and flexible data types, which enable diverse use cases. For instance, while concepts of time and date are essential in modeling healthcare data, they are not required in all scenarios. As a result, FHIR can capture these types of data at various levels of precision. Resource extensions can be added to FHIR to cater to more unusual use cases.
Cost-Effective
FHIR stands for Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources, and it is a set of standards for exchanging patient health information. By utilizing the standard, healthcare organizations can more easily share patient data and ensure accuracy. FHIR is also easy to implement and can be used in various software and applications. As a result, this standard can potentially increase patient trust in the healthcare industry and improve control over their health information and treatments.
FHIR uses a common framework for defining data exchange, and it uses a unique identifier similar to a URL. This identifier allows users worldwide to perform similar tasks using any standard browser or web-enabled device. Unlike other standards, FHIR is not only universally supported, but it is also free to use.