What is FHIR? Explaining the Next-Generation Healthcare Data Exchange Standard
FHIR — Glossary - Textbook of Digital Health
Summary
FHIR, developed by HL7, is a data format designed to solve problems associated with older standards like HL7 v2 and v3. Built on web standards (JSON, REST), it aims for easy development and widespread adoption.
Details
Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) is an HL7 standard that addresses the complexity issues found in earlier versions of HL7, such as v2 and v3. The specification defines data formats, components (Resources), and a dedicated API. Designed for ease of development and implementation, FHIR leverages web standards like XML, JSON, HTTP, OAuth, and REST. This foundation allows it to interoperate with existing standards like v2 and CDA while remaining flexible. Technically, FHIR utilizes REST (Representational State Transfer) principles. Data is structured around 'Resources,' each identified by a unique URL containing the Base address, Type, and Instance ID. Clients interact with the server using standard CRUD operations. The specification organizes data into five categories—Foundation, Base, Clinical, etc.—and defines 145 Resource types. These resources reference one another, often grouped within a 'Composition,' facilitating seamless exchange of clinical information.
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