As you start this assignment, review the website of the HL7 organization, www.HL7.org , and the Journal of AHIMA’s article by Kevin Heubusch (January, 2006): Interoperability: What it means, why it matters

What It Means, Why It Matters

Instructions:
Review the scenario below and answer the 6 questions at the end with at least 2-3 sentences for each question.

Scenario:
The Doomore Hospital, Primicare Clinic, and MaxLab all operate inSmalltown, New Hampshire. Doomore hospital has had an EHR for 7 years.Primicare Clinic has just implemented its clinic-based EHR in the pastyear. Both of these entities need to send lab orders to MaxLab, andobtain the results back quickly and accurately. Primicare needs to sendprimary care and maternity patient data on drug allergies and patientcare summaries to Doomore Hospital, when needed.

Doomore has a different patient demographics and patient ID systemin its EHR, than Primicare’s system. The patient ID for Doomore, is notthe same as for Primicare’s ID. Also different, are each entity’s drugallergy tables/ fields, which are represented in the tables below.

Also, for its patients discharged from Doomore’s ED and inpatientfacility, Primicare wants to review the hospital records promptly.Primicare wants at least, the patient’s full discharge medication list,all nursing and physician care summaries, and Discharge Orders. Thiswill allow the primary care practitioners to better follow up on theirpatients’ care and compliance.

Doomore Drug Allergy Table, Data Dictionary

Primicare Drug allergy table, Data Dictionary

Usually to determine patient drug allergies for a visit, Primicarejust types in the patient’s first and last name, and a report comes upwith a list of patients. They scan down the patients with similar names,until they find the correct one for this visits.

1. Describe at least two problems or issues you see with Doomoretrying to get drug allergy data transferred directly from Primicare.
2. Do you think either or both of, Doomore Hospital andÂPRimicare, could improve upon their drug allergy system tables and useof them? Please explain how.
3. Name and describe a method that MaxLab could use to help transfer data easily from the lab to both the hospital and the clinic.
4. Apply your knowledge of HL7 to discuss the following scenario:
   If both Primicare and Doomore use HL7, do you think this willresolve all issues with their compatibility for the drug allergysystems? Why or why not? Please explain your reasoning.
5. When two systems are made so they “play well” and communicate with each other, we call that a systems interface. Proposewhat kinds of computer hardware you would need for Primicare to beable to print out a patient care summary received from Doomore Hospitalfor a patient now being seen at Primicare. Determine what othersystems or hardware you think would be needed to communicate with thehardware you proposed.
6. Describe briefly the priorities of the HL7 group, as described in their website.