Case Study: Improving Clinical Data Access with FHIR - HealtheInsights Development and Problem Solving

Details

This case study details 'HealtheInsights,' Cerner's first in-house developed Smart on FHIR application. The core problem addressed was the difficulty clinicians faced accessing appropriate patient information due to multiple, disparate EMR systems within a single healthcare organization undergoing technological shifts. To solve this, the application aimed to provide universal access to patient data without being tied to any specific EMR. Developed by a solo designer over three months, the project involved extensive work on workflows and content organization. A key technical challenge was re-thinking standard data paradigms because the user's native EMR environment could not be guaranteed. The design process also included exploring how the application would appear within competitive major EMR systems like McKesson, Epic, eClinicalWorks, and Practice Fusion. The use of the SMART platform allows for flexible deployment—allowing clients to install applications without complex business interfaces or large contracts. This approach demonstrates a robust technical strategy for achieving interoperability across diverse commercial healthcare IT landscapes, offering valuable insights for addressing system integration complexities in Japanese healthcare settings.