HL7: Because Sharing Vital Patient Data Doesn’t Have to be so Difficult.

Getting up to Speed With HL7

Health Level Seven International, which governs HL7 specification, is a not-for-profit organization that focuses on standards for the transfer of data . HL7 is important in the healthcare community because it is the conduit through which healthcare applications communicate. An HL7 message is in order every time a person schedules a visit to the hospital or clinic, when they have a lab test done, when they’re admitted to a facility, or when a doctor prescribes them medication.

The message conveying information about the patient activity is sent from one system to another through HL7. Since its inception in 1987, HL7 is now able run on just about any system in a standard healthcare facility. There are many components to the HL7 message. Here are a few of them:

• Event
  Messages should have a slightly different meaning, and events are related to these specific types of messages. However, using the same message structure doesn’t mean it will trigger the same event type. However, the same data is needed when admitting or discharging a patient, it’s just slightly different in each situation.
• Envelope
  The block of data that is communicated from one system to another is called an envelope, and it can contain one or several messages.
• Message
  A message is data about a specific patient encounter. A message is bounded by its type and contains a number, which is considered a “segment.”
• Message Type
  The structure of a message will be different depending on what is being relayed, and this is called a message type. The messages are structured in such a way that the order of segments is important in relaying accurately the data from one system to another.

HL7 text messages are transmitted through two technologies – direct connection (TCP) and file connection. The TCP is the network connection through which the data is transmitted. The TCP, which is also referred to as an LLP or MLLP, is a real-time connection between applications. The file connection is a less complex way of sending messages in one or multiple files.

The type of data that is sent in an HL7 message is almost limitless. Everything from appointments to diagnoses are covered in an HL7 message. However, there are some challenges the healthcare industry is facing today. For instance, apps are a hot item today and many IT solutions are looking to apps to solve their issues. The problem is that these apps are designed as standalone systems, which means IT staff are having integration issues, due mostly to the sensitive nature of patient information within the data.

At Offsite Image Management, Inc., we’ve found a way around the integration issues. Our cloud-based method of offering image management and HL7 data management is critical for our clients. Our 360-degree solutions for data archiving and access are industry leading. Contact us today and let’s talk about the ways in which we can improve your workflow and business continuity processes.