HL7

What is HL7?
HL7 delivers healthcare interoperability standards
HL7's messaging standards, together with other data standards such as the structured clinical document format CDA, are designed to meet the necessary requirements for the secure, reliable and efficient electronic communication of healthcare information. The HL7 data standards are driven by the realisation that the availability of timely, accurate, and complete patient data is fundamental for any heathcare organisation.

HL7 eco-system

Pre-HL7
Before HL7 healthcare specifications, systems shared data using a myriad of formats which required bespoke interfaces to translate between them.

HL7 standards use a formalised structure and format, so that data relevant to heathcare organisations can more easily be shared between different systems. Information is sent in the form structured messages or documents that can be read and interpreted by any IT system that conforms to the specification. Computer applications can then retrieve and store the required parts of the message or the document.

HL7 v2 message

HL7 v3
The HL7 V3 development methodology represents a significant step forward from previous ways of developing healthcare messages. Completelly different to V2, and developed seperately, the V3 standard is based on HL7's Reference Information Model (RIM). This UML based mapping of the healthcare domain provides a formal terminology that is intended to enable systems to semantically interoperate with each other. HL7 RIM 2.4

In version 3, HL7 data is encoded as XML and contains several layers of data modeling information before the actual message content.

Example of a HL7 v3 message

HL7 v3 message
An HL7 v3 message is more complex than an HL7 v2.x message and requires knowledge of several concepts, which are defined below: Information models: HL7 v3 is built around the HL7 Reference Information Model (RIM). The RIM expresses data structures used across HL7 v3 standards. The RIM is refined to meet the needs of particular domains through the development of Domain Message Information Models (D-MIM). A message or group of related messages can then be further refined by using a Refined Message Information Model (R-MIM) to specialize the RIM. Data types: Each piece of data contains one or more attributes that define the structure of that particular piece of data. As models are specialized, the assigned data type may be specialized as well. Vocabulary: Every message refers to a vocabulary specification that indicates the coding systems and value sets used in the message. These give meaning to the code values that are used in the message. Message specifications: Drawn from a Refined Message Information Model (R-MIM), a message specification contains the attributes needed to support a specific trigger event. Unlike a model, a message specification is "serialized"; that is to say, it has a defined order for its content. This allows messages to be parsed. Conformance profiles: Published by a trading partner, a conformance profile specifies how a particular message specification is to be implemented in a particular situation. It resolves any remaining optionality in the message specification by indicating what code values are allowed and whether a particular attribute is to be valued.

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HL7 Literature
HL7 V2.6 (2007) HL7 International. chp.2,3,5,7. HL7 Messages [internet] Corepoint Health (cited 2011 Feb 21) Available from: http://www.corepointhealth.com/resource-center/hl7resources/hl7-messages HL7 - A brief overview (2011) HL7Connect (cited 2011 Feb 21) Available from: http://www.hl7connect.com/education/IntroToHL7_1.php Spronk R. (2007) HL7 Message examples: version 2 and version 3 [internet] Ringholm bv (cited 2011 Feb 21) Available from: http://www.ringholm.com/docs/04300_en.htm Introduction to HL7 Format [internet] 7Edit.com (cited 2011 Feb 21) Available from: http://www.7edit.com/manual/tutorials/hl7-formatintro/ How does HL7 work? [internet] Ontario: Interfaceware Inc. (cited 2011 Feb 21) Available from: http://www.interfaceware.com/how_does_hl7_work.html Evelan J (2011) HL7 Quick Reference [internet] jwenet.net (cited 2011 Feb 21) Available from: http://jwenet.net/notebook/1777/ http://wiki.hl7.org/index.php?title=Introduction_to_HL7:_Story_Line Spronk R. HL7Book [internet] Ringholm bv (cited 2011 Feb 21) Available from: http://hl7book.net/index.php?title=HL7_version_3 Shaver D (2007) The Chapters of the HL7 Standard [internet] HL7 Standards (cited 2011 Feb 21) Available from: http://www.hl7standards.com/blog/2007/06/19/the-chapters-of-the-hl7-standard-2/ Data Types. HL7 V2.4. HL7 International. (cited 2011 Feb 21) Available from: http://www.johner.org/fileadmin/vorlesungen/material/medinf/hl7v24-HTML/std24/ch02.htm#Heading22 Implementation Guide forImmunization Data Transactions using HL7 v2.3.1 (Version 2.2) (June 2009) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention / National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Bishop C (2005) An Introduction to HL7 Version 2 [Presentation] HL7 UK. HL7 Version 2 Implementation Guide: Clinical genomics; Fully LOINC-Qualified Genetic Variation Model, Release 1 (1st informative Ballot) (2008) HL7 International Benson T (2010) Principles of Health Interoperability HL7 and SNOMED. Springer. p.26.