FHIR®: Standardizing and Enabling Electronic Health Information Exchange

Details

Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR®) serves as a core standard for exchanging healthcare information electronically. Its primary goal is to structure and standardize Electronic Health Record (EHR) data, making it understandable and processable by machines. The provided content details not only the general definition of FHIR but also lists specific examples of its application, such as 'DATA ABSENT REASON (FHIR R4)' or 'PRESCRIBED MEDICATION DOSE ASSOCIATED EVENT (FHIR R4)'. These elements and constraints define the structure for exchanging information in specific medical processes like electronic prescribing and medication administration. As a standard developed by HL7, FHIR significantly improves interoperability across global healthcare systems. This technology is crucial for Japan's healthcare IT sector as well, providing a foundational mechanism for data linkage between disparate electronic medical record (EMR) or pharmacy systems.