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!

 

Designing HL7 Interfaces

When our customers ask our opinion on the best way to approach designing HL7 interfaces we usually recommend the following:

 

  1. On a whiteboard draw a vertical line down the middle.
  2. On the left side of the line type Message Transport.
  3. On the right side of the line type Message Processing.

 

The simple trick is to always consider these 2 categories separately. With Message Transport you should only consider how the HL7 messages will get from Point A to Point B. With Message Processing issues you should consider only how you will consume the messages you receive or produce the messages you need to send.

 

Message Transport:
 

1. Receiving Messages: How will HL7 messages be delivered to me? Do I need to support multiple methods?

 

  • HL7 Standard TCP/IP Receiver (Listener). Do I buy or build?

  • Secure File Transfer? (SFTP). Do I buy or build?

  • HL7 Data File drop, IE data files are placed in a folder

  • A Web Service of some kind. Do I buy or build?

 

2. Delivering Messages: How will I deliver HL7 messages which I produce to my Trading Partner(s)?

 

  • HL7 Standard TCP/IP Sender (Router). Do I buy or build?

  • Secure File Transfer? (SFTP). Do I buy or build?

  • HL7 Data File drop. IE I place data files in a folder

  • Secure posting to a Web Service

 

 

Message Processing

 

1. How will I consume HL7 messages I receive?

 

  • Do I need an inbound staging area where messages are aggregated before being consumed like a HL7 Database solution?

  • Will there be multiple entities consuming each message? IE the EMR and one or more pieces of DME like Lab machines or surgical monitors?

  • What (if any) middleware solutions will I need?Do I buy or build?

 

2. How will I produce HL7 messages I need to send?

 

  • Do I have to create the HL7 messages OR will the software that I already own do it for me?

  • Do I need an outbound staging area where messages are aggregated before being delivered like folder(s) on the file system or a HL7 Database solution?

  • Will the messages need to be created for multiple endpoints? IE the Laboratory and the PMS.

  • What (if any) middleware solutions will I need? Do I buy or build?