HL7 FHIR R4 Standard: The Latest Specification for Healthcare Data Exchange
HL7 FHIR R4 | INA - Interoperabilitäts-Navigator - INA.gematik.de
Summary
Health Level Seven International (HL7) has developed a new standard called "FHIR"® (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources). This standard aims to facilitate electronic health record data exchange, combining the benefits of established HL7 versions 2 and CDA with modern web standards and focusing on easy implementation.
Details
This article provides background context on the necessity of transmitting medical information electronically. The need for such transmission dates back to the first mainframe-based electronic patient records in the 1960s. HL7 Version 2 emerged in the 1970s, initially targeting intra-hospital data traffic. However, modern requirements demand interoperability that extends beyond facility boundaries and sectors, supporting mobile and cloud-based applications. This requires achieving interoperability within days or weeks, rather than months or years. FHIR addresses this need. Developed by HL7, FHIR stands for Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources. It inherits the advantages of established product lines like HL7 Version 2, Version 3, and CDA, while leveraging current web standards to emphasize ease of implementation. By providing a comprehensive approach to data exchange between medical systems, FHIR enables rapid interoperability, addressing the complex needs of modern healthcare IT environments.
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