FHIR Certification: New Milestone in the Healthcare Data Interoperability Journey
5 min readSoftServe is partnering with Google’s Apigee to deliver Apigee HealthAPIx solutions. In this article, we explore how AdvancedMD, a SoftServe partner, launched new Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) capabilities, the benefits for customers, and what it means for the future of healthcare technology.
OVERVIEW
- To keep its Certified EHR Technology (CEHRT) status, AdvancedMD needed to implement FHIR capabilities while preserving its existing backend technologies and infrastructure that supports over 50,000 providers and their staff across the U.S.
- To accelerate the AdvancedMD FHIR API project, SoftServe’s Apigee team used the Apigee HealthAPIx Accelerator, a robust solution developed by the Google and SoftServe team for adapting existing systems to FHIR interfaces.
- AdvancedMD’s new FHIR endpoints allow the company to deliver high-quality, interoperable solutions to improve patient outcomes and streamline healthcare workflows.
The healthcare industry has been on a mission to achieve data integration and interoperability for many years, and in 2023, it reached a significant milestone. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) awarded the Fast Health Interoperability Resources (FHIR®) Section 170.315(g)(10) certification, which promotes interoperability among Electronic Health Information (EHI) entities.
The certification establishes a nationwide health network that securely and efficiently shares patient health information. It provides better access to patient data and allows healthcare providers to make informed decisions about patient care.
AdvancedMD is at the forefront of adopting the latest technology standards. AdvancedMD is a Utah-based healthcare technology company offering cloud-based medical billing, practice management, and EHR software to ambulatory medical practices. The company recently achieved FHIR certification with SoftServe’s help, proving a commitment to delivering high-quality, interoperable solutions to improve patient outcomes and streamline healthcare workflows.
CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS
To keep its Certified EHR Technology (CEHRT) status, AdvancedMD needed to implement FHIR capabilities while preserving its existing backend technologies and infrastructure that supports over 50,000 providers and their staff across the U.S. For years, AdvancedMD has used Google Apigee as an API tool to manage thousands of client integrations. The FHIR workflow was built around Apigee which covers all required security standards and works with FHIR-compliant data model transformations.
To accelerate AdvancedMD FHIR Application Programming Interface (API) development, SoftServe’s Apigee team used the Apigee HealthAPIx Accelerator, a robust solution developed by the Google and SoftServe team for adapting existing systems to FHIR interfaces. With close cooperation between AdvancedMD engineers and architects, several authentication and authorization mechanisms were developed to address different use cases, such as patient and practitioner workflows. The solution is fully compatible with existing AdvancedMD security practices and the Oauth 2.0 security standards required by FHIR.
Based on the native platform capabilities of Apigee, a developer portal was created with new API documentation. A key part of the FHIR implementation was bulk functionality, which allows many patient records to be exported by an authorized provider. Considering obvious performance issues and specific requirements for bulk calls, AdvancedMD expanded the functionality of its backend services.
BENEFITS OF FHIR CERTIFICATION
FHIR certification provides a clear and standardized framework for exchanging data, making it easier for developers to build and integrate health information systems. With FHIR certification, patients have greater control over their health data and can share it seamlessly with their healthcare providers. This certification is a significant achievement for the healthcare industry and a crucial step in achieving a nationwide health network that can securely and efficiently share patient data.
In November 2022, AdvancedMD received g10 certification from Drummond, an ONC-ATCB, which designates AdvancedMD’s EHR as CEHRT. This achievement highlights AdvancedMD's commitment to delivering the highest quality of patient care and providing solutions that improve patient outcomes and streamline healthcare workflows.
POSITIVE FEEDBACK
AdvancedMD’s leadership team gave excellent feedback about the recent FHIR certification session. Amanda Hansen, president of AdvancedMD, was appreciative of the team's "consistent and focused effort" and described their work as a "huge lift that matters." Chris Schell, senior interoperability analyst, praised the Apigee team for doing a "phenomenal job." Elie Azar, senior engineering director, summed up the sentiment, saying that the team did a "great job," and the certification was an "awesome accomplishment."
In conclusion, the AdvancedMD FHIR certification is a significant milestone for the healthcare industry. The certification promotes interoperability among EHI entities and sets up a nationwide health network to share patient health information securely and efficiently. FHIR implementation makes it easier for healthcare organizations to exchange patient data, leading to improved patient outcomes and higher efficiency for healthcare providers. This achievement proves their commitment to deliver high-quality, interoperable solutions to improve patient outcomes, and streamline healthcare workflows, ultimately leading to better patient care.