Unleashing FHIR Interoperability in Healthcare—Uncovering New Possibilities

 

Recently, a new standard for healthcare information called FHIR has been introduced. FHIR stands for Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources and can change how patient data is shared while reducing costs. This makes patients more involved in their care while improving the quality of care too. This blog explores what FHIR is and why it is vital for healthcare practices. Let us look at how FHIR and FHIR interoperability works and how unleashing it in healthcare benefits the industry immensely.

What is FHIR?

FHIR is a new healthcare information standard that is based on XML. This means that different types of healthcare software can use it to communicate with each other. It was created by a non-profit venture called Health Level Seven International (HL7). The goal of HL7 is to make electronic health records (EHRs) communicate with one another. This is to make them work together seamlessly regardless of where they are located worldwide.

What are the benefits?

Currently, the standards for exchanging healthcare information across the industry are complex. FHIR simplifies the standards for exchanging healthcare information. Patients can access their data using personal electronic devices such as smartphones or web browsers. With the help of this technology, they can share information with family members and care providers, managing their care effectively.  The various benefits can be mentioned as below:

Simplicity:  It is simple, allowing every developer to build faster and easier apps. It supports common standards such as JSON, XML, HTTP, and OAuth. This lowers the learning curve for people who come from a non-healthcare background.

Flexibility:  FHIR Healthcare resources and profiles can be configured for a wide variety of use cases, making pluggable solutions a distinct possibility.

Dynamic: Since it is dynamic, FHIR change deployment and updates do not damage existing implementations.

Open source: FHIR as a search API can be accessed by anyone wanting to build an app.

How does it work?

The purpose of this technology is to create a healthcare system that enables the transfer of healthcare information with a greater level of ease than at present. Although healthcare information is digitized, it is still document heavy. Now, it only includes data that healthcare practices choose to transmit. Even the data received is in a static format, making it cumbersome for users to extract information from it. FHIR attempts to get away from this kind of structure and convey the entire patient story in such a way that a concerned app can plug into clinical workflows so that analytics efforts, decision-making, and care coordination can be improved.

The various possibilities

Based on the RESTful application programming interface (API), FHIR typically uses HTTP protocol for web-based APIs. This means newer applications with greater possibilities in healthcare can be developed. This opens completely new dimensions for interoperability.  

It means that this technology will be able to transform healthcare in a digital age. Thus, it will enable a holistic view of a patient’s data for better care coordination. This will facilitate better patient outcomes. Hence, every authorized member of a patient’s care team, from doctors to pharmacists and insurers, will be able to access a unified record of health data securely. 

Thus, this technology enables faster software innovations for healthcare organizations. Also, it helps developers effectively save time and costs in developing customized apps. These apps can then reliably share information with all sources.

Individual physicians can use this technology to make faster, more informed clinical decisions. They also can use this technology to eliminate mundane tasks such as processing patient data and transmitting patient records. Also, it can reduce exposure to security threats due to less manual handling of patient data.

All this means that patients can have better control over their healthcare data, thus ensuring they make better choices related to their health. Such data could also benefit their medication in an emergency or an incident with a life-critical impact. 

Thus, FHIR makes it possible to view a new patient’s previous lab results from different hospitals with just one click while looking at their new medical records on a smartphone or computer screen. There is no need for doctors to visit each hospital and download data separately.

How can this help healthcare providers?

FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) has the potential to make healthcare more efficient and allows for sharing more information between healthcare providers. This means there is no need to re-enter medical history every time patients see a new doctor or get a new test done for an illness.  

Thus, the potential for this technology is vast – from applications that monitor chronic illnesses to those that can share information with family members and caregivers about patient progress.

This technology can vastly improve the healthcare industry, which previously used outdated and inefficient systems. This open-source set of guidelines defines a method of sharing information consistently. Thus, doctors find it easier to share and access vital health records data, which allows them to work more efficiently.

Conclusion

Although this technology can be a bit daunting, it has the potential to revolutionize the health industry. It can improve communication between providers, insurers, and patients. Now that you have a better idea about FHIR, you will be in a better position to decide if this technology can make a difference for you!