Open APIs for Healthcare System Interoperability

Abstract

The demographic changes in Norway are increasing the pressure on the Norwe- gian healthcare system to provide more efficient care. Adopting digital health technologies can address this challenge by making current healthcare workers more efficient. However, many of these applications do not exchange data and force caregivers to navigate multiple applications, which decreases their effi- ciency. Furthermore, traditional one-to-one integrations have limitations, and achieving interoperability while maintaining openness and trust poses significant challenges.

Adopting open APIs can address the challenge of decreased efficiency, making current healthcare workers more efficient by facilitating interoperability. This thesis describes the process of designing and implementing an open API that facilitates interoperability between an EHR system and an external application. The research was based on the design science methodology and was conducted in close collaboration with eHealth vendors. The final evaluations showed that the vendors approved the solution and expressed their intention to use it to improve interoperability. Caregivers also expressed satisfaction with the result and were intrigued by the prospect of using it as part of their workflows.

The project demonstrates that open APIs can be implemented in the healthcare industry to facilitate interoperability. However, it also highlights the challenges of balancing openness and trust and advocates for prioritizing extensibility to develop scalable solutions that meet their security requirements. Further re- search is needed on open APIs in healthcare so that the accumulated knowledge can be used to define frameworks that help eHealth vendors realize the benefits of open APIs.