Deep 6 is on FHIR
We’re proud to set high standards and pave the future of clinical trials. That ranges from our visionary, category-creating software to even how we process data on the backend of our system. We’re pleased to announce that FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) is our standard system of processing data moving forward! (However, to be clear, we still ingest and work with HL7 data.)
There’s tension in the healthcare ecosystem right now as the industry moves from the established HL7 standards of working with healthcare data to a new system of FHIR.
In 2020, the 21st Century Cures Act “final rule” took effect which mandates that healthcare systems start working with the FHIR standard. For some companies this was great news and they embraced the change. But, for larger organizations such as major hospitals or universities, this change could cost millions of dollars and there’s a bit less enthusiasm.
From an engineering perspective, it’s fantastic. It means developers who move into the healthcare space will be able to use familiar tools and processes rather than learn an outdated system. Plus, it was created by the HL7 International healthcare standards, so it’s tailor-made for healthcare data. The biggest improvement is it uses more modern technology such as standard APIs, better conforms to healthcare data types and provides options in how the data can be utilized and displayed.
Once all healthcare systems “speak” FHIR it will benefit everyone who interacts with the U.S. healthcare systems. FHIR paves the way for better interoperability amongst all healthcare systems to allow data sharing among organizations to keep patients safe and doctors informed.
Right now, if a patient ends up in the emergency room, the attending physician is unlikely to have access to their medical records and history from other healthcare systems. This lack of data and missing interoperability between healthcare organizations can potentially harm patients, since physicians may not be aware of chronic conditions, severe allergies and other critical clinical information. FHIR will act as an easy data transfer mechanism for sharing patient records and even for de-identifying the records if needed.
From our unique perspective, we’re excited about the increase in information that we’ll be able to ingest, especially unstructured EHR notes that contain untapped, valuable information. And since FHIR is our data standard, we’re ready for the switch to happen with our clients as soon as possible. Once all our clients switch to FHIR, we’ll be able to set up operations with them much faster.
What else is so great about FHIR?
At our company, we have access to a wealth of deep healthcare data, so we’re able act as a data conduit and provide de-identified data as needed. For example, it has the potential to help researchers by de-identifying patients with specific health conditions and providing valuable information to research studies. We’re looking forward to continuing to add to the depth of our data with even more information.
We’re very excited about the future of FHIR and to see where it takes us! Interested in learning more about our capabilities? Reach out to us here.
Author
Les Horne, Senior Solutions Architect and FHIR SME
