Socialcare Interoperability via FHIR: From Direct Exchange to Stepwise Adoption
Socialcare on FHIR over Direct - DirectTrust DirectTrust Advancing socialcare
DirectTrust is advancing social care interoperability by utilizing FHIR standards.
Summary
Addressing interoperability challenges in social welfare, DirectTrust proposes a FHIR-based approach. Recognizing the strong link between health and Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), it recommends exchanging FHIR resource attachments as an 'on-ramp' for existing non-standardized systems.
Key Players
Details
This article discusses the current state and challenges of interoperability in social care. It highlights that social care is a critical component of health, noting that Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) can account for 60 to 80 percent of an individual’s well-being. However, unlike healthcare records, social care lacks formal standards, and existing systems are fragmented and highly incompatible. The author argues that defining entirely new standards would take decades, suggesting that extending and adopting FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) standards could accelerate progress. Nevertheless, the text points out significant challenges: social care practices are diverse and often incompatible, and organizations suffer from underfunding and lagging technological investment compared to healthcare. To bridge this gap, the author proposes a method of exchanging 'FHIR resource attachments' via Direct Secure Messages. This strategy simulates FHIR RESTful transactions while providing a stepwise adoption approach, aiming to advance standardization in social care interoperability while mitigating organizational resistance. The goal is to allow flexibility for both well-funded institutions using full FHIR applications and those that have not yet been able to invest in new technologies.
Technology Note
FHIR（Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources）は医療データ交換の国際標準。このエントリの関連技術: FHIR
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