Context
When they were looking for a data warehouse to link their interoperability platform with their patient application, the Europe Hospitals turned to Enovacom:
- The Europe Hospitals chose the Enovacom Data Repository, a FHIR-compliant data warehouse, to store and move data from their hospital information system (HIS) to their patient portal solution (IBIS).
- FHIR technology is the cornerstone of this project.
- Over 1,500 patients have already used the portal, which is now powered by the Enovacom Data Repository.
The Europe Hospitals, have long sought the right partners for their patient portal project. After several unsuccessful attempts, they identified the Enovacom Data Repository as the perfect middleware warehouse solution and chose NSI for portal development.
Pascal Cousin, CIO of Europe Hospitals, shared the reasons for choosing Enovacom. “We wanted to work with a software editor that let us control our data flows. We did not want to change interoperability platforms, and Enovacom’s warehouse solution seemed ideal. Our institutions are opting for a digital strategy around the FHIR standard, and Enovacom’s solution emerged as the most mature to address this challenge.”
“What interested us with Enovacom was the FHIR Data Repository technology. As the interoperability of our computerized patient records promotes FHIR in our network, we anticipated our future needs by using that standard. We wanted to control both our budget and data flows.”
FHIR: the key to optimal data classification at the Europe Hospitals
The operation of FHIR is straightforward: data is stored in warehouses compatible with the standard. Web protocols query these warehouses to facilitate information exchange from points A to B.
The FHIR-compatible Data Repository solution uses modular components, called ‘resources’, which are designed to be easily implemented to address various data exchange challenges.
From a technical perspective, NSI oversees the warehouse query, while Europe Hospitals manage the warehouse via their interoperability platform. “We wanted all project stakeholders to talk to each other. We showed the institution’s enterprise application integration (EAI) solution where they were to deposit the data and the portal provider where they were to retrieve it,” explained Thomas Rival, Project Manager at Enovacom.
“We have stringent criteria on data entering the warehouse because we base ourselves on FHIR. The customer was generating JSON and we have modified the flows to be FHIR-compatible. Sometimes a line or poor translation of an element makes the warehouse misunderstand the flow. Then we must change it so that it is integrated into the warehouse.”
Collaboration: the key to project success for the Europe Hospitals
With two software editors and Europe Hospitals teams involved, successful synergy was required to navigate the various stages of portal design. “All teams were in perfect agreement and, everyone brought their skills and knowledge to the table,” said Apollinaire Tiendrebeogo, Project Manager at the Europe Hospitals.
Through weekly updates, teams from the Europe Hospitals, Enovacom and NSI collaborated to shape the FHIR data warehouse. “We were familiar with the HL7 standard, but FHIR is more comprehensive. We could not build the warehouse ourselves, so we leveraged Enovacom’s expertise and their web services to set up the project,” revealed Hugo Peumans, Application Manager for the Europe Hospitals.
“We had a very smooth relationship with the Enovacom teams. When we needed more information on any aspect of the project, their answers were very relevant. We often received several possible solutions to meet our diverse needs,” explained Pierre Sterno, Developer at the Europe Hospitals.
A patient portal already in use
Launched in June 2022, the IBIS patient portal is the key to sharing information between the healthcare facility and its patients. hospital offers its patients a personalized, secure and integrated space where they can be part of their care journey.
This new platform enables patients to access elements of their computerized patient record at the Europe Hospitals, including their personal and medical data, their upcoming appointments, medical reports and laboratory results, as well as vaccinations received, and consent given.
Patients can also schedule an online appointment or conduct a teleconsultation, and professionals can monitor people with cardiovascular conditions online through connected blood pressure device and scales.
“This initial version is already being used by more than 1,500 patients, which is significant given this is the period when our activity is not at its peak due to the holidays. We imagine that the number will increase when they return. There’s interest from patients, so we want to make this platform indispensable for all those who receive care at our facilities,” concluded Appolinaire Tiendrebeogo of the Europe Hospitals.
Once consent is given, HIS application data flows to the FHIR data warehouse. Then the portal retrieves it for display on the patient terminal , providing a clear example of successful interoperability for patients.
