DIRECTIONS: RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING CLASSMATES POST. ALL SOURCES MUST BE EASILY ACCESSIBLE.
POST: FHIR or the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resource is a tool that has become increasingly popular for bringing disparate systems together. FHIR allows for the ability to connect different discrete elements so they can be shared between systems. FHIR is an interoperability standard that allows for a more flexible and functional process than other standards in current healthcare use today [1]. The solution is bi-directional and can read and write data. It is also flexible to the different levels of granularity whether that be individual data elements or entire documents. FHIR works with pluggable applications that patients or providers can download from Apple App Store. FHIR is a newer standard but has had a strong early uptake [1]. FHIR gives health IT teams with a standard to work against so they are able to build tools with their systems to help providers and provider teams to have access to pertinent patient information. FHIR has a simpler set of APIS than that of other standards which allows vendors to get up and running with FHIR easily and quickly [1]. Having FHIR provides a standard mechanism which is critical for interoperability and gaining access to patient data regardless of the system it originated from. One challenge that still exists even with FHIR is from the business perspective of not wanting to share data with a competing organization without a legal obligation to do so [1]. With FHIR, the focus is on reducing technology barriers to provide a better data model and providing new workflow options. FHIR still will not resolve issues of interoperability. Interoperability cannot be fixed with technological changes as they are related to business and culture. Because FHIR is relatively new, it faces barriers related to adoption. While the older standards are inferior to FHIR, they are in use today and it would cost money to remove and replace what already exists. FHIR also faces challenges with the two-way communication street between apps that patients can download on their phones and EHRs [1].
Works Cited:
1) Siwicki, B. (2019, October 4). How FHIR 4 will drive interoperability progress in healthcare. Retrieved from https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/how-fhir-4-will-drive-interoperability-progress-healthcare
