HL7 Information

HL7 Standards, Message Types, Structure

There are various HL7 standard versions (v.2, v.3, FHIR), each with its own set of HL7 message types and specific message structures, comprised of Segments, Composites (Fields), and Delimiters.

Each HL7 message type has a unique purpose and message contents: For example, HL7 ADT (Admit, Discharge and Transfer) messages are used to communicate patient demographics, visit information and patient state at a healthcare facility. ADT messages are one of the most widely-used and high volume HL7 message types, as it provides information for many trigger events including patient admissions, registrations, cancellations, updates, discharges or patient data merges, among many more.

To learn more about HL7, visit our dedicated Comprehensive Guide to HL7.

HL7: The “Non-Standard” Standard

Although HL7 is the international standard and is widely adopted, it is still often incorrectly formatted due to various factors including human error. Version compatibility issues also arise, as additional segments and fields are present in newer versions of HL7 that may not be backwards compatible with older versions.

As a result, many systems cannot interpret these differences, which causes incompatibility amongst disparate systems, requiring a translator to normalize the data once again.

HL7 integration engines work alongside existing applications as an interpreter, creating HL7 interfaces that can send, receive, and most importantly, normalize HL7 data to ensure compatibility. Integration engines like Iguana are designed to handle HL7 customization, ensuring that communicating HL7 messages is fast, reliable, secure, and cost effective.

HL7 Message Transformation

Patented Translator Scripting Environment: HL7 messages can be easily filtered and transformed with exceptional customization using Lua scripts.

Assisted Interface Development

Code Autocompletion: Easily develop custom HL7 interfaces with the Iguana’s live autocompletion feature that offers in-line, intelligent context-based suggestions.

Real-Time Results

Sample Data & Script Annotations: Iguana’s Translator pulls in real sample HL7 data, giving you a holistic real-time understanding of how your messages are affected by your custom script — effectively combining development and testing in a single screen.

Interface Overview

Monitoring Dashboard: Oversee all HL7 interfaces and servers at a glance, and receive notifications based on all important interface and message activities.

UNDERSTANDING HL7 INTEGRATION

What is HL7 (Health Level Seven)?