The FHIR® (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) standard has rapidly become a foundation of modern healthcare, transforming how data is shared across systems and providing patients and providers with real-time access to critical health information. This capability goes beyond convenience—it’s essential for coordinated care and ensuring that providers have the most accurate, up-to-date information for decision-making. In an industry where efficient data exchange is critical, impartial testing and validation of healthcare IT solutions are key to ensuring seamless interoperability, data integrity, and trust across systems. Without robust testing, the integrity of data, stakeholder confidence, and patient safety can be compromised. Rigorous validation methods help protect against these risks by ensuring that healthcare applications meet the highest standards, safeguarding the quality of data exchange, and building trust among providers, payers, and patients alike.
Drummond’s FHIR® Client Testing and Certification program provides a comprehensive framework for validating FHIR client applications. This in-depth process evaluates compliance with implementation guides, security measures, and the efficiency with which applications use the data they receive. Testing and certifying technology solutions is more than a compliance milestone—it establishes an industry benchmark, ensuring that applications are secure, reliable, and optimized to improve patient care. In July 2024, a leading healthcare technology company, dedicated to improving the exchange of health data between clinicians, patients, and care teams, became the first to achieve this certification. Their accomplishment not only highlights the pivotal role of certified solutions in driving innovation but also underscores the importance of trust and security in today’s increasingly complex healthcare environment.
In this blog, we explore the company’s journey through the FHIR® Testing and Certification process and assess the positive impact this certification can have on healthcare organizations aiming to enhance patient care and data interoperability.
FHIR® Testing and Certification Journey
The company’s app was already highly effective before entering Drummond’s FHIR® Testing and Certification Program, which made the process a valuable opportunity to assess how well their app interacts with mainstream EHR systems.
Here are some key insights gained from the certification process:
Addressing Implementation Bias for Seamless Integration
One of the significant benefits gained from certification was the ability to test the app’s performance across diverse real-world implementations and certification standards commonly used by EHRs and payers. This helped address ‘implementation bias’—the different ways systems interpret and apply optional features within the FHIR specification. The certification process enabled the company to validate the app’s ability to work across both standard and more complex API configurations, ensuring seamless integration in diverse healthcare environments without compromising data integrity. This validation confirmed the app’s adaptability and improved the user experience for both providers and patients.
Improving Management of Complex FHIR Resources
The certification process allowed the company to demonstrate their app’s effectiveness in managing and displaying complex FHIR resources, such as medication requests, care plans, and social determinants of health. Drummond’s manual review of display requirements, based on other ONC-sanctioned certifications, added an extra layer of evaluation that focused on usability beyond basic interoperability. This rigorous testing confirmed that the app was not only functional but also highly intuitive for clinicians and patients, ensuring effective healthcare data management in real-world clinical settings.
Ensuring Robust Data Security and Authorization
Security and authorization were critical aspects of the certification process. The app underwent rigorous testing, specifically in its use of the Smart on FHIR framework and OAuth2 for secure authorization. This validation ensured the app not only met but exceeded industry security standards, which is vital for building trust with healthcare organizations. The certification verified that the app operates with the highest levels of data protection, enabling secure and reliable data exchanges across multiple systems, providing confidence for healthcare providers to integrate the app seamlessly into their workflows.
Boosting Market Credibility
Achieving Drummond’s FHIR® Testing and Certification strengthens an organization’s credibility and builds market trust. In today’s competitive healthcare technology landscape, this certification reassures providers, payers, and stakeholders that the app meets high standards for security and reliability in handling sensitive patient data. It serves as a validation of the app’s performance and compliance with industry regulations, making it easier for healthcare organizations to adopt the solution. The certification also highlights the company’s commitment to maintaining compliance and delivering quality, making it a trusted option for potential customers and partners.
Conclusion
This healthcare technology company’s certification journey was not just about meeting industry standards—it was about validating their app’s functionality, strengthening security protocols, and enhancing their market position.
Having become the first company to achieve Drummond’s FHIR® Testing and Certification, they have set new benchmarks for secure, compliant, and user-friendly healthcare applications. With the healthcare industry increasingly prioritizing improved interoperability, enhanced data security, and streamlined workflows, FHIR® Testing and Certification will play a key role in ensuring healthcare applications can meet these evolving needs and sustain long-term growth in a competitive marketplace.