{"id":3747,"date":"2020-07-06T23:10:50","date_gmt":"2020-07-06T23:10:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/orionhealth-blog.local\/?p=3747"},"modified":"2023-05-03T23:48:38","modified_gmt":"2023-05-03T23:48:38","slug":"what-is-hl7-and-why-does-healthcare-need-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orionhealth.com\/nz\/blog\/what-is-hl7-and-why-does-healthcare-need-it\/","title":{"rendered":"What is HL7 and why does healthcare need it?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Healthcare systems around the world have been challenged in unprecedented ways by the pandemic. One key element of delivering effective care in this environment is the seamless exchange of patient data between systems and devices. This is where HL7 comes in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is HL7?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

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HL7 is the messaging standard that enables interoperability and helps healthcare providers deliver better care. Health Level Seven (HL7)<\/a> is a set of\u00a0international\u00a0standards\u00a0used to provide\u00a0guidance\u00a0with\u00a0transferring\u00a0and sharing\u00a0data between various healthcare providers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The HL7 standards were created by Health Level Seven International<\/a>, a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing a comprehensive framework and related standards for the exchange, integration, sharing, and retrieval of electronic health information. The adoption of these standards supports clinical practice and the management, delivery and evaluation of health services.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interoperability and HL7<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Interoperability is a critical aspect of modern healthcare, enabling healthcare providers to exchange patient data seamlessly and efficiently. HL7 is one of the most widely used messaging standards for achieving interoperability in healthcare. By providing a consistent and structured way for healthcare systems to communicate and share data, HL7 helps healthcare providers deliver better care to patients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why does healthcare need HL7?\u00a0<\/strong>
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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many healthcare\u00a0providers, particularly specialists,\u00a0are required\u00a0to access multiple\u00a0electronic\u00a0systems to see relevant diagnoses for a patient. This can be even more challenging if they provide\u00a0services\u00a0in outpatient clinics that are not integrated with the local hospital system.\u00a0This is where Fast\u00a0Healthcare\u00a0Interoperability\u00a0Resources (FHIR)\u00a0comes in and HL7\u00a0interoperability standards, such as\u00a0the messaging\u00a0format\u00a0HLv2\u00a0or\u00a0the most recent FHIR,\u00a0exercise their value. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By providing a common language around content and structures for clinical data classes (e.g. diagnoses, allergies, procedures, …) data can be exchanged across EHRs without ambiguity and risk of misinterpretation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the benefits of HL7?\u00a0<\/strong>
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HL7 provides a range of benefits for healthcare providers, patients, and other stakeholders, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n