HL7 Questions And Answers

Please feel free to send us any questions you have about HL7 and HL7 Interfaces at support@transworldscribe.com and if possible we will answer them here in this Blog/FAQ!

 

🩺 HL7 Doesn’t Have to Be Overwhelming

 

If you're running a small clinic, you've probably heard of HL7—but what does it actually mean for your day-to-day operations? HL7 (Health Level Seven) is a set of standards that helps different healthcare systems talk to each other. But you don’t need a full IT department or expensive consultants to get started.

This guide breaks down what actually matters for small clinics—and how to avoid common traps.

 

🧩 What HL7 Is (and Isn’t)

 

  • HL7 is a messaging standard, not a software product.

  • It helps systems like your EMR, lab partners, and billing tools exchange patient data.

  • You don’t need to “buy HL7”—you need tools that support HL7 messaging.

 

🛠️ What You Actually Need

Here’s what most small clinics need to get started with HL7:

  1. A clear use case. Why It Matters: Avoid vague goals like “we want HL7”.  What to Look For: Start with a real workflow, e.g., sending lab orders or receiving lab results.

  2. HL7 interface engine(s) or toolkit. Why It Matters: Translates HL7 messages between systems. What to Look For:  Look for lightweight, affordable tools that support your specific message types (e.g., ORU^R01 for lab results).

  3. Basic HL7 knowledge. Why It Matters: Helps you communicate with vendors. What to Look For: Learn key terms like segments (PID, OBR), message types, and ACKs.

  4. Vendor cooperation. Why It Matters: You’ll need access to their HL7 specs. What to Look For: Ask for sample messages, documentation, and test environments (if possible).

  5. Error handling and logging. Why It Matters: HL7 messages can fail silently. What to Look For: Choose tools that show you what went wrong—and let you fix it.

 

🌱 Start Small, Grow Wisely

 

HL7 integration doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. Start with one workflow—like receiving lab results—and build from there. The goal is interoperability that works for you, not complexity for its own sake.

 

IMPORTANT: Never skip testing! Always test with real data before going live.

 

🌱 You might not need as much as you think

 

HL7 is the industry standard for healthcare data interchange. This means that in your office the odds are that the software that already own, like your Practice Management System, or Hospital Information System, already has HL7 interfacing built-in or available as an add-on component. So your task might be merely a case of "wiring everything together" like Christmas tree lights.

 

SCENARIO: Start with one workflow—like receiving lab results. Your PMS already has the capability to import HL7 lab results and your only job is to figure out how to:

  1. Receive the HL7 results from the laboratory. How do I figure out how? Simple, ask the laboratory. They have a vested interest in getting you set up correctly, including sending you test messages, providing HL7 specifications to you, etc.

  2. Once received, how to get them into the PMS. How do I figure out how? Simple, ask support at your PMS vendor. They can tell you how their side of the interface will work, as well as how to test it, etc.

🧠 SCENARIO - Final Thoughts
It may very well be that in the above scenario you don't need to "buy" anything, because you already have it and it's just a matter of implementing it. However, you may encounter a situation where the Lab can only deliver HL7 messages over TCP/IP using a HL7 Sender (like our CORE HL7 Sender) and your PMS can only import HL7 messages that are sitting in a folder. In that case all you would need is a product like our CORE HL7 TCP/IP Listener to receive the HL7 messages from the Lab and deposit them into a folder for the PMS to pick up. OR it could be the reverse, the LAB can only deliver HL7 messages in data files over SFTP and your PMS can only import them when they are sent over TCP/IP. In that case you would need  our CORE HL7 Sender to send the result messages to the PMS.

The goal is interoperability that works for you, not complexity for its own sake.

 

IMPORTANT: Never skip testing! Always test with real data before going live.

 

🧭 Common Pitfalls to Avoid

  • Over-engineering: Don’t buy enterprise tools for a 3-person clinic.

  • Assuming plug-and-play: HL7 always needs configuration, but we won’t charge you a set-up fee.

  • Ignoring message formats: Even HL7-compliant systems can disagree on details.

 

🧠 Why TransWorld Scribes?


Because we don’t just sell HL7 tools—we design them for clarity, sustainability, and scaleable success. Our documentation is extensive, our pricing is transparent, and our support is grounded in real use cases. You won’t find bloated dashboards or hidden fees—just tools that work, and guidance that respects your time.