FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) is a standard for exchanging healthcare information electronically and combines the best features from HL7 v2, HL7 v3, and CDA, while also adding several significant improvements over previous standards. In this article, we will look at the development of FHIR and the common benefits of FHIR for healthcare providers and developers.

What is the reason behind the development of FHIR?

The main aim of FHIR is to normalize and ease out the exchange of healthcare data between healthcare administrators, providers, and professionals to share patient data in an easy and stress-free way, even when the providers are using different software systems.

A quick guide to FHIR Advantages: Why you need to make use of it?

• Easy and hassle-free integration and implementation
• FHIR makes data to be easily accessible and in a readable format thereby increasing the healthcare delivery speed.
• Structures and standardizes the data for machine-based processing and other automated clinical support.
• FHIR eliminates the working time with the document-based data exchange system

#1 Data Sharing made simple with FHIR

With FHIR, every resource is linked with a unique identifier. Quite similar to be like the URLs help to look out for specific web pages, no matter which web browser or device you have been using, FHIR makes it feasible and easy to get the access to right set of data from any device or an application.  Just by assigning standard URLs for different packets of data, FHIR eliminates and cuts down the long process of exchanging data back and forth between systems.

#2 Developer Friendly

Is FHIR is developer-friendly? Of course YES! FHIR employs many popular, modern web technologies that developers are already familiar with such as HTTPS, REST, XML, JSON, ATOM, and OAuth.

#3 The specification is Free for Use

Not like other HL7 standards, which were not freely available until 2013, the specifications for FHIR are 100% accessible without a login or any restrictions.

#4 Supports RESTful Architecture

The REST APIs make sharing simpler and easier, which takes only less time to onboard a partner in information exchange. REST APIs additionally provide tools to easily communicate with the data source in different ways such as GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE are all potential moves that can be taken on resources.

#5 Fast and Easy to Implement

HL7 claims that developers can have a simple interface up and running in just a single day. With the help of the best integration engine, this can be done even faster.

#6 Cost Savings Approach

Since FHIR makes use of various well-known web technologies such as REST, the skills required to develop an application with FHIR is a very basic thing like it is directly transferable from anyone working in website or web app development. So the process of building a team will be much easier and it won’t cost more.

#7 The concept of Resources

FHIR is built upon the concept of “resources” – the basic units of interoperability which are used as building blocks that can be incorporated in existing systems to try to resolve clinical, administrative and infrastructural problems in healthcare. The resources must have a common definition and method of representation, a common set of metadata, and a human-readable part. The various categories of resources include Clinical, Workflow, Conformance, Identification, Financial, and Infrastructure.

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#8 FHIR suits well for mobile

FHIR utilizes many new technologies that mobile devices readily and easily support such as HTTP REST and JSON. This results in a vast increase in the development of numerous mobile health applications and devices.

#9 FHIR experts community

FHIR is an open-source standard with a community of experts who offer the best solutions for complex problems. If you have any queries related to FHIR implementation, the expert team will clarify your issues in a matter of hours, sometimes even minutes.

How FHIR benefits App Developers?

Once the application is developed with FHIR means, then it can be launched across many health systems. So, the patients from different health systems can use a consumer single app, or providers can use a business app running within the EHR with minimal modifications. Additionally, with the help of FHIR, SMART, and the new rules in Meaningful Use 3, patients are in control of their data. As discussed above, FHIR is developer-friendly as they implement RESTful APIs and OAuth2 just like most other APIs developers are familiar with.

Benefits of FHIR for health systems and providers

The most important benefit of FHIR is that the health systems and providers gain a method to launch applications from right within their EHR. And those applications can be easily built by external developers is a more scalable manner without specific implementations or custom integrations for each organization.

FHIR plays a great and big role in healthcare interoperability. Because with FHIR, it’s very easy to transmit only the necessary and important pieces of data. This makes FHIR special and more manageable when you compare FHIR® to the previous CDA format which contained the complete patient history.

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Benefits of FHIR to Patients

With the previous standards, if the patients wish to have a look at their healthcare data and reports, they need to download it in large text files including CCDAs or would get printouts and CDs with data that was disorganized. The healthcare providers also suffer a lot to keep their patients interactive and to be updated with their medical records. Now, with FHIR – getting your health data is made simple and easier.

Securely Share medical health data – With FHIR® and SMART and through Meaningful Use 3, patients can authorize access to their health data to any application.

How to get started with FHIR?

FHIR is a great standard that can be applied to solve different clinical, administrative, and business problems. It’s a tool that can create wonders in the hands of healthcare innovators. It helps developers and professionals to create the best and user-friendly applications integrated with web browsers functionality ensuring quick and trustable access to the relevant data irrespective of which EHR or application is been used. Some many tools and services are available to support the FHIR® standard.

You can make development much faster with the help of CapMinds FHIR implementation and support services. If you are ready to make use of the advantages of FHIR and APIs to improve your workflows, Contact CapMinds Today.