More and more healthcare organisations, regions and collectives are investigating the possibilities of using open platforms for healthcare data. There is interest in this, but it often feels like a huge endeavour. Time to shed some pragmatic light on the situation: how do you start with an open platform in an accessible way? What does it involve? How do you scale up? In this article we'll delve into this.
a little recap…
We have previously discussed the possibilities that open platforms have to offer to realize data availability in healthcare. If you do not have time to dive into our various other articles, we will give you a short recap:
An open platform is an ecosystem of services in which healthcare data is modeled and stored according to a standard and which is accessible to various parties via a standardised set of API services.
Such an open platform (or a combination of several such platforms) is a central ingredient for a healthcare IT landscape in which the data is separated from the applications and radical openness (for integrations and collaboration) is embraced.
Data can be processed from one data source: the open platform. Data can be read and mutated in it. This way, there is one truth, which can be made available for all kinds of applications and processes. Data availability, without endless data copies!
knowledge about openEHR
We already mentioned: data needs to be modelled and stored in a standardised way. The logical standard for this is openEHR - an internationally accepted standard that has advocated the separation of data and applications since the very beginning. Our own open platform, CareBase24, is based on openEHR.
To get started with this as an organisation, some basic knowledge of openEHR is useful - you don't have to be an expert, but it is good to know how it works and what it has to offer. Fortunately, the openEHR community is literally that: open! There is an active forum where you can go with all your questions and there are many professionals and organisations who share their knowledge in this area - via masterclasses and courses or, like us, via online knowledge sharing and personal appointments.
See for example:
Start small
So, you are familiar with the principles of openEHR and want to get started with an open platform within your healthcare organisation: what now? There is already an extensive IT landscape, which must be kept running at all times. Various legacy systems are running and the data cannot be extracted from the existing systems or it is very difficult to do so…
In the meantime, legislation is constantly evolving and there is increasing pressure on the healthcare industry to establish data availability and the separation of data and application.
Our advice: start small. Set up an open platform next to your existing applications, and initially connect one or two systems to it. You can then gradually expand this. Initially, think mainly of new applications: that way there is no hassle with data conversion or extraction, you can start fresh, directly linked to the open platform!
DATA EXTRACTION AND DATA CONVERSION
Of course, you can't avoid it: data will also have to be extracted from your existing systems and converted for modelling and storage in the open platform. How do you tackle this?
Again, 'step by step' is the motto and the how and what of it will depend on the systems in question. Gather advice from experienced parties - at CODE24 we have years of experience with data extraction and conversion within healthcare, so we can certainly advise you.
get started!
The most important advice we can give you: gain knowledge and get started. Healthcare IT needs open platforms for a future-proof IT landscape and the sooner you start, the sooner you can scale up and phase out your old setup. The ‘old-fashioned’ suppliers will also have to move along and change to shape this new IT landscape - healthcare organisations can help stimulate their efforts.
The CODE24 team is happy to discuss the opportunities and possibilities around open platforms and data extraction and conversion for your organisation. Contact us and we will schedule an appointment with you as soon as possible.