HL7 is pleased to announce the launch of the HL7 FHIR Foundry, a unique platform designed to advance the discovery, testing, and implementation of HL7 FHIR® (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) specifications.
The FHIR Foundry, part of HL7’s strategic plan to enhance global health interoperability, is an open ecosystem platform that offers a centralized, user-friendly environment for developers and implementers worldwide.
“The HL7 FHIR Foundry represents a major leap forward in supporting the international health IT community by providing a centralized, and user-friendly platform for FHIR specification discovery, trying, and testing” said Diego Kaminker, HL7’s deputy chief standards implementation officer. ”
The Foundry empowers implementers around the world to engage with FHIR standards in a practical and scalable way. This will accelerate innovation, enhance interoperability, and ultimately improve healthcare outcomes globally.”The FHIR Foundry consists of two key components: Foundry Gallery and Foundry Hosting. This integrated environment builds on the success of FHIR sandbox environments, providing robust support for the global community of FHIR implementers.
Foundry Gallery is a comprehensive repository of open-source reference implementations (RIs) aligned with HL7 specifications. It allows users to:
Discover: Easily search for projects by technology, role, description, or domain. For example, users can explore how FHIR can be applied to genomics or manage provider registries.
Try: Utilize client RIs to understand the practical implications of FHIR implementations, facilitating learning and reuse of source code. Users can use client Ris to assist with understanding the practical implications of FHIR implementations and to assist with learning and reuse of source code.
Test: Leverage RI servers to validate client applications against known working instances.
Foundry Hosting is an HL7-managed, cloud-based environment for hosting RI clients and servers. It ensures:
Availability: A centralized, living lab environment.
Scalability: Flexibility to match demand.
Integration and Deployment: Shared services/automatic local implementation.
Consistency: Adherence to standard practices for RI development.
Maintainability: Continuous integration
and deployment connected to GitHub and Docker Hub.
The anticipated outcomes of the HL7 FHIR Foundry are significant. First, it will become the go-to resource for finding and experimenting with reference implementations, accessible to all, including those with limited technical skills. This will enhance outreach and discovery, making it easier for a wider audience to engage with FHIR standards. The Foundry will also enable continuous testing beyond FHIR Connectathons and dedicated events, allowing implementers to test client applications and servers using robust sample data at any time. Finally, HL7 standards development will evolve to include the deployment of reference implementation software as part of quality assurance and publication processes, thereby increasing the rigor and reliability of standards development.
Skycapp, a leading provider of healthcare software solutions and implementation services dedicated to improving patient care, optimizing workflows, and advancing outcomes with a full-stack commitment to standards and interoperability, contributed the underlying delivery platform for HL7 FHIR Foundry.
“I’m beyond elated to support HL7 FHIR Foundry,” said Dr. Preston Lee, CTO of Skycapp. “Since I began formulating the ballot specifications and operating model for a standards-based, global health IT supply chain ecosystem over a decade ago, my passion has been bringing pragmatism to healthcare interoperability through automation and accessibility. Launching HL7 FHIR Foundry as a centerpiece for implementers needing to understand and integrate standards marks a new era of adopter-focused value, and one I’m confident will open the door to many novel and disruptive uses.”
How to Access the HL7 FHIR Foundry
The HL7 FHIR Foundry Gallery can be accessed at the following link: https://foundry.hl7.org/
If you are interested in hosting your open-source reference implementations in the HL7 FHIR Foundry Hosting service, please contact Karen Van Hentenryck (karenvan@hl7.org)
