Fast Health Interoperability Resources (FHIR) is a data exchange standard used in healthcare. Health Level Seven (HL7) developed FHIR. It combines the best of HL7 v2, v3, and CDA, with web services such as HTTP, JSON, SOAP, and REST.
FHIR-based solutions are created by combining components known as “resources.” Putting these resources together allows developers to build robust healthcare IT solutions quickly and at a relatively low cost.
Reliable statistics on FHIR show that in 2019, about 84 percent of hospitals in the U.S. adopted API technology based on FHIR. If you have not started using FHIR for development, this article will reveal why you should make the switch.
1. Flexible Components
One major problem solved by FHIR is handling variation caused by having a large number of healthcare processes. Traditionally, this is dealt with by including additional fields in the standard specification.
The problem with this approach is the increase in cost and the complicated implementation process.
In contrast, FHIR allows you to extend the basic resource framework with profiles. So your application can exercise more control through profiles.
Also, every resource in FHIR has a text-only representation that developers can read easily during troubleshooting.
2. Enhanced Data Sharing
FHIR uses well-known web technologies like REST, JSON, XML, etc. Since many developers are already familiar with these technologies, they make FHIR easier for developers to learn and use.
FHIR offers developers over 140 APIs to share healthcare data. And your team only needs to implement the APIs required for a particular use case.
After implementing the API, it is possible to link the API with any system that supports it. As a result, FHIR promotes faster and more economical interoperability.
3. Improves Data Management
FHIR offers health IT developers a standard data format for various applications.
Implementing a standard format enhances consistency, accuracy, and data integrity.
This makes it possible to eliminate redundant data and avoid ambiguity. FHIR also makes using a data catalog to track health data more accessible.
4. Smarter Data Mining
Data mining allows you to obtain valuable, actionable insights from data. The process is easier and more efficient when you use FHIR for business data mining.
Each provider has a wealth of value embedded in multiple databases in the EHR, LIS, RIS, billing, and practice management systems.
Using FHIR allows you to mine data from multiple sources and aggregate them for clinical and administrative use. Doctors can gain insights for better diagnosis and treatment, while administrators can learn more about improving facility utilization.
5. Boost Data Integration
The APIs provided by FHIR enable you to simplify integrating disparate systems. Whether you have legacy systems or modern systems needing a specific data format, you can use FHIR API for data exchange.
FHIR APIs will give you the capability to integrate systems that have no FHIR interface and recently developed blockchain-based systems.
Get Started With Fast Health Interoperability Resources
FHIR simplifies data exchange. But you need the experience and expertise of an integration expert to plan, build, test, and deploy functional and reliable healthcare integration solutions.
Contact Lifepoint Informatics today at 877.522.8378 for a free consultation. Visit our contact page to book a free demo of our FHIR integration solutions.