The healthcare industry is changing fast, and the ability to exchange data quickly and accurately has become more important. Today, health data is increasingly shared among systems, providers, and organizations, making standards like HL7 and FHIR critical for interoperability.
In this blog, we’ll understand FHIR vs HL7 and help clarify the key differences, benefits, and the role these standards play in modern healthcare systems.
Table of Contents
What Is HL7?
HL7 (Health Level 7) is a set of international standards for the electronic exchange of healthcare information. First introduced in 1987, HL7 was designed to facilitate the exchange of clinical and administrative data between different healthcare systems. The term “Level 7” refers to the application layer of the OSI model, which governs the communication between applications.
HL7 primarily focuses on the exchange, integration, sharing, and retrieval of electronic health information. It’s been a cornerstone in healthcare IT for decades, with its most widely used version being HL7 v2.x.
Key Features of HL7
- Standard Messaging Format: HL7 defines specific message formats for the transmission of healthcare data, including patient records, lab results, and billing information.
- Adoption: It’s widely adopted by hospitals, healthcare providers, and laboratories to communicate between systems.
- Legacy Systems: Many healthcare organizations still rely on HL7 v2.x for interoperability, despite its limitations in handling modern data needs.
While HL7 has played a critical role in healthcare interoperability, it faces limitations when it comes to handling more complex data types and modern use cases, which brings us to FHIR.
What Is FHIR?
FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) is a newer standard, introduced by HL7 in 2011, designed to overcome the shortcomings of HL7. It’s built on modern web technologies, such as RESTful APIs, and focuses on making healthcare data more accessible, flexible, and scalable.
FHIR is an open standard that allows developers to create interoperable applications. Its goal is to simplify and accelerate the exchange of health information, making it more adaptable to the present digital healthcare environment.
Key Features of FHIR
- Modern Web Technologies: FHIR utilizes RESTful APIs, XML, JSON, and OAuth, which are widely used in the tech industry, making it easier to integrate with other systems.
- Modular Structure: FHIR uses “resources,” which represent different aspects of healthcare data (e.g., patient, appointment, medication). This modular structure allows for flexible use across various healthcare domains.
- Interoperability: FHIR is designed to be highly interoperable, allowing systems to share health data in real-time, which is crucial for both clinical and administrative functions.
- Support for Mobile and Cloud: FHIR is well-suited for modern applications, including mobile apps and cloud-based systems, which are increasingly being used to manage patient data.
The FHIR standard’s modern approach and flexibility have made it the preferred choice for developers and healthcare organizations looking to embrace digital transformation in healthcare.
FHIR vs HL7: Key Differences
Now that we know what HL7 and FHIR are, let’s understand the key differences between these two standards.
1. Technology Stack and Flexibility
- HL7: HL7 is built on older technology standards, primarily using XML messages for communication. The format is rigid and can be difficult to adapt to modern technologies.
- FHIR: FHIR is built on modern web technologies like RESTful APIs, JSON, and XML. These technologies are flexible, scalable, and compatible with other modern systems, including mobile apps and cloud platforms.
2. Complexity vs Simplicity
- HL7: HL7 is more complex, requiring specialized knowledge to interpret and manage the data. The older versions, particularly HL7 v2.x, are less intuitive and challenging to implement in new systems.
- FHIR: FHIR is designed to be simpler, more modular, and easier to use. Its modular “resource” model allows for easier data integration and reduces the complexity involved in exchanging healthcare information.
3. Real-Time Data Exchange
- HL7: HL7 has traditionally been more focused on batch-based data exchange. It doesn’t support real-time updates very well, which can create delays in the availability of critical healthcare data.
- FHIR: FHIR is built for real-time data exchange, allowing for faster and more accurate updates. It’s optimized for real-time applications, making it ideal for mobile health apps, wearable devices, and other connected health technologies.
4. Data Types and Structure
- HL7: HL7 provides a fixed set of messages and is less flexible when it comes to handling modern data types like images, documents, and multimedia content. It works well for transactional data but struggles with handling more diverse forms of healthcare data.
- FHIR: FHIR is highly flexible and can handle a wide variety of data types, including structured and unstructured data. It supports everything from traditional medical records to complex clinical data, lab results, and even images.
5. Adoption and Use Cases
- HL7: HL7 is used in hospitals and large healthcare organizations that need to exchange clinical and administrative data, including lab results, patient demographics, and billing information. However, it is more suited for legacy systems and less flexible in supporting newer, cloud-based, or mobile applications.
- FHIR: FHIR is becoming the go-to standard for new healthcare applications. Developers are widely adopting it to create interoperable, real-time solutions for clinical and administrative functions in healthcare. Its flexible approach makes it ideal for startups, tech companies, and organizations looking to modernize their healthcare systems.
Benefits of FHIR Over HL7
- Faster Data Exchange: FHIR standard’s real-time APIs enable faster data exchange between systems. Unlike HL7, which can require batch processing, FHIR can provide near-instant updates to ensure that critical health information is available when it’s needed most.
- Better Mobile and Web App Integration: With the rise of mobile and cloud-based applications in healthcare, the FHIR standard’s compatibility with modern web technologies makes it the preferred choice for developing new digital health solutions.
- Scalability and Flexibility: FHIR standard’s modular design allows it to scale easily. Organizations can start small and expand their use of FHIR as their needs grow, without worrying about changing the core infrastructure.
- Cost-Effectiveness: By using FHIR, healthcare organizations can reduce the costs associated with integrating and maintaining multiple, disparate systems. Its flexible nature also means that organizations can avoid vendor lock-in and choose the tools that best fit their needs.
- Improved Patient Care: FHIR standard’s real-time data capabilities enable healthcare providers to make faster decisions, improving the quality of patient care. Whether it’s real-time monitoring, remote patient care, or more efficient hospital workflows, FHIR contributes directly to better patient outcomes.
The Future of FHIR vs HL7
As healthcare continues to move towards digital transformation, it’s clear that FHIR will play a key role in shaping the future of interoperability. HL7 still has a strong foothold in many legacy systems, but FHIR is increasingly becoming the standard of choice for modern applications, particularly those involving mobile health, telemedicine, and real-time clinical data exchange.
The transition from HL7 to FHIR is already underway in many healthcare organizations. While it may take time for full adoption across the board, the flexibility, scalability, and modern features of FHIR make it a better fit for future-proofing healthcare systems.
FUSION: Supercharge Your Healthcare Solutions with FHIR APIs
Built with RESTful APIs, FUSION is a FHIR server created to deliver easier, faster, and more accurate data exchange.
FUSION stores patient data in FHIR format, which is the global standard for healthcare data. This enables different apps, hospitals, and systems to communicate with each other and share critical health information in real-time.
What sets FUSION apart is that it also stores medical coding systems like SNOMED CT, LOINC, and ICD. This keeps all data consistent, accurate, and ready for clinical use, reporting, and analytics.
Key features of FUSION include
- FHIR-native architecture
- Plug-and-play APIs for rapid deployment
- Real-time data sharing across multiple endpoints
- Strong security controls that meet compliance standards
- Support for both structured and unstructured data
Whether a hospital wants to exchange records with external labs or enable app-based clinical tools, FUSION acts as the smart bridge, without needing to replace existing infrastructure.
Final Thoughts
FHIR vs HL7 isn’t just a debate of old vs new; it’s about adapting to the demands of a rapidly changing healthcare landscape. While HL7 has served healthcare for decades, FHIR represents the next generation of healthcare interoperability, enabling faster, more flexible, and real-time data exchanges.
As healthcare systems continue to evolve, embracing FHIR will become important for organizations that want to remain competitive, improve patient outcomes, and keep pace with the digital age. Contact us now to learn how FUSION can transform your healthcare data exchange capabilities!
FAQs
1. What types of data can FHIR handle that HL7 cannot?
FHIR is more flexible and can handle diverse data types, including clinical data, lab results, patient records, multimedia files, and more. HL7, on the other hand, is better suited for simpler, structured data formats.
2. Is FHIR compatible with mobile health applications?
Yes, FHIR is ideal for mobile health applications as it uses web technologies that are compatible with smartphones and tablets. This allows healthcare providers to access and update patient data on the go.
3. What is the impact of FHIR on healthcare interoperability?
FHIR significantly improves interoperability by allowing different healthcare systems to easily share data in real-time, eliminating the silos that often exist with older standards like HL7.
4. Which standard is better for real-time data exchange—FHIR or HL7?
FHIR is designed for real-time data exchange, making it more suitable for mobile apps, cloud-based platforms, and other systems requiring up-to-date healthcare data.
