Semantic Interoperability
- 1 January 2006
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Georg Thieme Verlag KG in Methods of Information in Medicine
- Vol. 45 (04), 343-353
- https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0038-1634087
Abstract
Summary: Objectives: To meet the challenge for high quality and efficient care, highly specialized and distributed healthcare establishments have to communicate and co-operate in a semantically interoperable way. Information and communication technology must be open, flexible, scalable, knowledge-based and service-oriented as well as secure and safe. Methods: For enabling semantic interoperability, a unified process for defining and implementing the architecture, i.e. structure and functions of the cooperating systems’ components, as well as the approach for knowledge representation, i.e. the used information and its interpretation, algorithms, etc. have to be defined in a harmonized way. Deploying the Generic Component Model, systems and their components, underlying concepts and applied constraints must be formally modeled, strictly separating platform-independent from platform-specific models. Results: As HL7 Version 3 claims to represent the most successful standard for semantic interoperability, HL7 has been analyzed regarding the requirements for model-driven, service-oriented design of semantic interoperable information systems, thereby moving from a communication to an architecture paradigm. The approach is compared with advanced architectural approaches for information systems such as OMG’s CORBA 3 or EHR systems such as GEHR/openEHR and CEN EN 13606 Electronic Health Record Communication. Conclusion: HL7 Version 3 is maturing towards an architectural approach for semantic interoperability. Despite current differences, there is a close collaboration between the teams involved guaranteeing a convergence between competing approaches.Keywords
This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit:
- Application of the component paradigm for analysis and design of advanced health system architecturesInternational Journal of Medical Informatics, 2000
- Comparing middleware concepts for advanced healthcare system architecturesInternational Journal of Medical Informatics, 1997