Integrating with applications that use FHIR resources

Use the FHIRValidate node in your own message flows to validate and convert FHIR® resources.

Before you begin

Check whether any patterns exist that you can use (or adapt) to meet your requirements (see Developing healthcare integration solutions by using the patterns supplied in IBM App Connect for Healthcare).
Read the information about how to develop integration solutions (see Developing message flows in the IBM® App Connect Enterprise product documentation).

About this task

Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) is a standard from Health Level 7 International (HL7®) that is designed to allow the exchange of electronic health records. The HL7® FHIR® standard uses XML and JSON for data representation. FHIR solutions can be created by using components that are called resources, which are built around particular concepts, such as the patient or provider, diagnostics, and care plans. IBM App Connect for Healthcare provides a FHIRValidate node, which you can use to check whether a message that arrives on its input terminal is a valid FHIR resource. The node can also convert valid FHIR resources from XML to JSON, and from JSON to XML.

If no patterns meet your requirements, you can integrate with applications that use FHIR resources by creating your own message flow and adding a FHIRValidate node.

The FHIRValidate node is a subflow user-defined node. Therefore, you cannot add it to a subflow, and you will not see the node listed in the message flow palette when you create a subflow. For more information, see Using a subflow as a user-defined node.

Procedure

Collect connection information about your applications that use FHIR resources.
Optional: If you are planning to use a Mapping node in your flow, import the FHIR schemas by using the Healthcare: Healthcare Resources pattern.
Create a message flow and add a FHIRValidate node.
For more information, see FHIRValidate node.
Complete your message flow.

For more information, see Developing message flows in the IBM App Connect Enterprise product documentation.

What to do next

Test and debug your integration solution to check that it works correctly (see Testing and troubleshooting message flows in the IBM App Connect Enterprise product documentation).

Note: The FHIRValidate node is a subflow user-defined node. Therefore, the message flows that contain it must be compiled before they are deployed. You can then add the compiled message flow (CMF) file to the broker archive (BAR) file. The following limitations apply when you are testing compiled message flows:

You cannot use the Flow Exerciser with compiled message flows.
You cannot set debugger breakpoints on connections in compiled message flows.

For more information, see BAR file contents.