BACKGROUND
Interoperability is a challenge in healthcare information systems because of heterogeneity in semantic and technical levels of data. It creates a problem in exchanging data from different sources. Person-Generated Health Data (PGHD) is health-related data created, recorded, or collected by individuals or family members, or caregivers. PGHD can be captured passively and continuously to create a more accurate and comprehensive picture of the individual. PGHD is a category of Personal Health Records (PHR) that helps people to store and manage their health records. The rapid growth of PHRs and standards to exchange PHRs in a secure way have improved different aspects of health practices and personal care.
OBJECTIVE
This is a two-fold study. First, this study aims to investigate Health Level 7’s (HL7) new standard, Fast Healthcare Interoperable Resources (FHIR), as a standard format to explain information model (personal, physiological, and behavioral data from heterogeneous sources, such as activity sensor, questionnaire, and interview) and clinical terminologies together. Second, we explore the protocol’s advantages in some detail and critically analyze endpoint security of the HL7 application programming interface (HAPI).
METHODS
To address the interoperability problem, we combine FHIR and internationally acclaimed medical terminologies and use JavaScript object notion (JSON) to represent and exchange PGHD. We develop a secure digital infrastructure with TSD (services for sensitive data) as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), where we deploy the HAPI FHIR server as a docker image. We integrate the concepts such as authentication, authorization, and identity brokering to protect HAPI REST interfaces. PGHD inside TSD are protected following the Norwegian Data Protection Policies (NORMEN) and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). We use personal, physiological, and behavioral data involved in health monitoring and store them in the TSD database using the HAPI FHIR server. Storage and retrieval of PGHD from TSD are HL7 compliant.
RESULTS
First, we discuss storing PGHD in TSD and retrieving it from TSD following HL7 protocol using the HAPI FHIR server in JSON format, combining the information model and medical terminologies. Second, it describes how to secure HAPI REST APIs with the TSD platform.
CONCLUSIONS
FHIR resources can establish a coherent view of PGHD collected from heterogeneous sources by enabling flexible data exchange between stakeholders and service providers. Besides, the study reveals that TSD is a secure platform for the management of PGHD.
CLINICALTRIAL
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