HL7-SAIF in motion; A pragmatic perspective

Abstract

Attached

H ealth L e v e l 7 (HL7) is th e m o st p o p u la r g lo b a l health ca re sta n d a rd in op era tio n today. It p ro v id e s an E n terp rise A rch itectu re (EA) fo r the exchange, in tegration , sh arin g, a n d re trie va l o f electro n ic health inform ation. C lo sely a llie d is th e S e rv ic e s-A w a re In tero p era b ility F ra m ew o rk (SAIF) w hich is the In tero p era b ility F ram ew ork that o p era te s on H L7. U sin g the M essagin g, D ocu m en t Exchange, a n d S ervices p a ra d ig m s, SA IF represen ts th e ca refu l b le n d o f the b e st p r a c tic e s a n d co n cep ts o f m an y arch itectu ra l fra m ew o rk s. U tilizin g SA IF to churn ou t H L 7 -b a sed EA specification s, en su re in ter-en terp rise a n d in tra ­ en terp rise, com pon en t-w ise, cross-referen ced, con sisten cy, conform ity, a n d com plian ce. This is tru e irre sp e c tiv e o f th e in tero p era b ility p a ra d ig m u se d , ie ., M essages, D ocu m en ts, o r S ervices. H o w ever, th ese te ch n o lo g ies a re n o t w ith ou t th eir p ro b le m s, a n d cynics. They h a ve d o cu m en ted desig n a n d im plem entation issues, both em p irica l a n d p ra c tic a l. The th rust o f th is p a p e r is to p re se n t the “c a se te c h n o lo g y ” o f H L 7- SAIF, both co n cep tu a l a n d en gin eered, h ighlighting th e sh ortcom in gs, design issues, a n d p ra c tic a l d ifficu lties en co u n tered du rin g sp ecifica tio n s design a n d developm en t. F urther, p e rtin e n t so lu tio n s d e v ise d in th is resea rch to o verco m e th ese p re ssin g issu es a re a lso articu lated.