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The Guardian of Life - A vintage illustration showing healthcare systems interconnecting to protect patients

Healthcare Architect: The Guardian of Life

"In healthcare, a system failure isn't just an inconvenience; it's a matter of life and death. The logic here must be flawless."

The Architect's Dilemma

Dear Marilyn,I'm trying to modernize a hospital's IT system, but it's a nightmare of legacy protocols. HL7 v2, FHIR, DICOM... nothing talks to anything else. Doctors are frustrated, and patients are at risk. Is there a logical way to untangle this mess without breaking everything?

Marilyn's Reply

Complexity in healthcare is inevitable, but chaos is not. The key is interoperability—the ability of different systems to speak a common language.

We will dissect the evolution from HL7 v2 to FHIR, explore the structure of FHIR Resources, and learn how SMART on FHIR enables modern apps to run safely on top of electronic health records.

HL7 Evolution - From pipe-delimited messages to modern APIs

Module 1: HL7 Evolution

Tracing the history from the pipe-delimited messages of HL7 v2 to the modern, API-driven world of FHIR.

FHIR Resources - Building blocks of healthcare data

Module 2: FHIR Resources

Deep dive into the building blocks of healthcare data: Patient, Observation, Encounter, and MedicationRequest.

SMART on FHIR - Secure healthcare app integration

Module 3: SMART on FHIR

How to build secure, launchable apps that integrate seamlessly with major EHR platforms like Epic and Cerner.

Architect's Toolkit

  • Interoperability Standards
  • Clinical Data Modeling
  • HIPAA Compliance