The rapid increase in technological developments in the healthcare sector sees interface engines providing an infinite opportunity to improve business revenue performance, patient care and outcomes, and overall performance of patient care capabilities.
HL7 interface engines are of significant importance to the healthcare industry as they are the central hub that transfers and processes large amounts of data between healthcare IT systems. Interface engines consist of; an import endpoint for the receiving operation, an export endpoint for sending functions, and a method (TCP/IP communication) for transferring healthcare data between the two endpoints.
Top HL7 Interface Engines
Modern HL7 interface engines proved quick deployment, migration of electronic health records (EHRs), seamless interfaces, maintenance, and disaster recovery, to name a few features. Below we discuss the best HL7 interface engines available on the market in no particular order.
Iguana Integrations Solutions
Iguana integration solutions are designed specifically for the healthcare industry, supporting all data standards and messaging formats worldwide. The implementation of Iguana HL7 Engine provides healthcare organizations with an easier exchange of healthcare information with any system, device, or application.
Features of Iguana HL7 Interfaces:
- The lower total cost of ownership
- Faster implantation times – up to 50% more rapid rate than past HL7 integration engines.
- Designed for high performance
- Faster, scalable, and reliable – A more consistent and predictable product.
Corepoint
- Useability- Corepoint allows healthcare organizations to streamline integration with minimal or zero coding.
- Speed to value- Data integrity and interoperability are maintained internally and externally when system upgrades, migrations, or platform conversions are performed.
- Support and Scalability- Increasing operational information, configuration, and throughput can be scaled using specific Microsoft technologies.
- Cost-effective healthcare data exchange.
Mirth Integration Solutions
Mirth (NextGen Connect) uses standards and process data formats such as DICOM, HL7, ANSI X12, XML, and ASCII. Mirth is an open-source integration system designed to transfer message standards into systems. Mirth, HL7 integration solutions, uses HL7 V2/V3 messaging protocols.
Features of Mirth Integration Solutions:
- Services and support – Direct 24/7 support, access to developer Q&A, and an advanced certification training course are a few features provided.
- Advanced functionality.
- The low total cost of ownership- Businesses are not billed for additional charges for scaling interfaces.
- Limitless interoperability – there are no limits on interfaces.
Cloverleaf
Cloverleaf integration suite streamlines the transfer of clinical data to improve healthcare business operations and outcomes. The clinical integration foundation of healthcare organizations, ACOs, laboratories, medical devices, and HIEs are provided.Features of Cloverleaf integration suite:
- Offers the option of a pre-built FHIR solution
- Deployed globally in 36 countries
- A healthcare API Gateway is included.
- Virtualization for public and private cloud implementations.
Rhapsody
- Increased flexibility – streamlined workflow and Rhapsody integration engine is infinitely configurable and explicitly designed for the healthcare industry.
- There are coding options- FHIR-specific and REST JSON support includes providing the platform for developing ingenious FHIR- established systems.
- Rhapsody can be deployed globally – A robust toolkit allows for the creation of intricate integrations that is well established across the globe.
Factors To Help You Pick The Most Suitable HL7 Interface Engines For Your Business
Choosing the correct HL7 interface engine for your business is as important as implementing a healthcare interface.
Does It Comply With Regulatory Standards?
It is important to ask potential vendors questions to determine if the HL7 interface engine supports all your business scenarios and current technologies. Businesses need to check that the HL& interface engines can support modern web technologies (JSON, SOAP, REST API) and construct interfaces that connect department systems to an electronic health record API.
A few critical health information standards specifically pertaining to HL7 include FHIR, IHE, and versions 2.x, and 3.x.
Useability
- Reusability of previous systems already installed saves time for system migration and costs.
- Amount of programming required – If your business requires minimal programming (i.e., the coding of simple scripts), the chosen interface engine should contain an extensive library of connectors. Companies with in-house programmers need not worry about the amount of programming required for the interface engine.
- It is essential to ensure that you know the maximum number of systems that the engine can integrate.
Data Security: Cybersecurity protocols and data centers
There is a genuine security concern with interface engines as most are hosted internally and externally in the cloud. To mitigate data breaches (hacking, system malfunction), it is crucial that the interface engine has sufficient cybersecurity protocols and that the data centers are secured.
Technologies that the HL7 interface engine supports
It is vital that your chosen HL7 interface engine can achieve full data interoperability (connection of EHRs to all department systems). This will affect revenue and the ability of medical professionals to provide quality patient-centric care.
Customer Support
Any interface engine will inevitably experience issues or errors from time to time. Appropriate support (live chats, email, in-house employee, emails, support ticket) that is available 24/7 is vital to resolve these issues or errors timeously before any downtime occurs.
Conclusion
The HL7 interface engine you select for your healthcare business will affect the seamless transfer of clinical data, administration information, and finances. Healthcare organizations rely on the data flowing through facilities to improve internal operations, patient care, and workflow for medical professionals.
Thus, it is crucial to know the functions and features of the top HL7 interface engines to ensure best that your business achieves complete interoperability.