Healthcare systems produce vast amounts of data daily, making fast and secure real time data exchange a critical part of seamless operations. Therefore, choosing a data exchange protocol is critical to how efficiently, securely, and reliably healthcare data flows across systems. From handling patient records to boosting real-time data exchange for diagnostics and monitoring, different protocols—HTTP, FTP, MQTT, and SOAP—cater to specific needs.
In this blog, we’ll break down these protocols, highlighting their strengths and best applications in healthcare data exchange.
Table of Contents
1. HTTP
The Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is widely used for communication between web browsers and servers. It forms the foundation of data exchange over the internet and is commonly used in web-based healthcare applications.
Best Use Cases in Healthcare
- Telemedicine Platforms: Thanks to HTTP, patients can securely connect with doctors remotely through web-based video consultations.
- Electronic Health Record (EHR) Portals: Many hospitals provide web-based patient portals using HTTP to allow easy access to medical history, test results, and prescriptions.
- Healthcare APIs: RESTful APIs in healthcare often rely on HTTP to transmit data between systems, facilitating seamless integration of applications like patient management systems and wearable health devices.
Limitations
- HTTP is not designed for real-time data exchange, making it less suitable for applications that require continuous monitoring.
- Standard HTTP lacks built-in security features, requiring encryption protocols like HTTPS for safer transmission.
2. FTP
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) transfers large files between computers over a network. Unlike HTTP, which primarily handles web-based data, FTP specializes in batch file transfers.
Best Use Cases in Healthcare
- Medical Imaging Transfers: Radiology and diagnostic labs frequently use FTP to move large files such as MRI scans, CT images, and X-rays between systems.
- Laboratory Data Sharing: Labs transferring bulk test results to hospitals or research institutions can leverage FTP for reliable file transfers.
- Secure Backup Storage: Healthcare organizations store vast amounts of data, and FTP is often used to send periodic backups to remote storage facilities.
Limitations
- FTP does not support real-time data exchange, making it unsuitable for continuous data streams.
- Security vulnerabilities exist in standard FTP, requiring additional layers like FTPS (FTP Secure) or SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) for encrypted file transfers.
3. MQTT
Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) is a lightweight messaging protocol designed for real-time communication. It is highly efficient in environments with limited bandwidth and battery life, making it perfect for IoT-based healthcare applications.
Best Use Cases in Healthcare
- Wearable Health Devices: Smartwatches, glucose monitors, and heart rate trackers use MQTT to send real-time data to healthcare providers.
- Remote Patient Monitoring: Patients with chronic conditions benefit from real-time updates on their vitals sent through MQTT to monitoring systems.
- Smart Hospital Systems: Automated hospital beds, connected ventilators, and infusion pumps use MQTT to communicate critical patient data instantly.
Limitations
- MQTT requires a dedicated broker, adding complexity to deployment.
- It is not optimized for large file transfers, making it unsuitable for imaging or document exchange.
4. SOAP
Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) is a messaging protocol that allows structured data exchange using XML. SOAP offers robust security and transactional reliability, making it a strong choice for healthcare integrations.
Best Use Cases in Healthcare
- HL7 and FHIR Data Exchange: Healthcare interoperability standards such as HL7 (Health Level Seven) and FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) often use SOAP to transmit patient records between healthcare providers securely.
- Pharmacy and Insurance Claims Processing: SOAP is commonly used in financial transactions within healthcare so that insurance claims, medication orders, and billing data are transmitted in a structured manner.
- Regulated Environments: Industries with strict compliance requirements, such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), favor SOAP due to its built-in security features.
Limitations
- SOAP messages can be heavy due to XML formatting, leading to higher bandwidth usage.
- It is more complex to implement compared to RESTful APIs using HTTP.
Key Differences
| Protocol | Best Use Cases | Key Benefits | Challenges |
| HTTP | Web-based EHRs, Telemedicine, Healthcare APIs | Widely supported, easy to integrate | Not ideal for real-time data exchange |
| FTP | Medical imaging, bulk lab data transfer, backups | Reliable for large files | Lacks real-time data exchange capabilities, security concerns |
| MQTT | Wearable devices, remote monitoring, IoT-enabled hospitals | Low bandwidth, real-time data exchange | Requires a broker, limited file size |
| SOAP | HL7/FHIR data exchange, insurance claims, regulated environments | High security, structured transactions | Complex implementation, high bandwidth |
How a Real Time Data Exchange Solution like AERIS Integrates Multiple Protocols
In modern healthcare, seamless data exchange across disparate systems is critical for enhancing patient outcomes and operational efficiency. This is where the FHIR-based real-time data exchange solution AERIS makes a difference. Its data adapters bridge disparate systems and convert legacy/ modern protocols—HTTP, FTP, MQTT, and SOAP—into a unified, standardized format. Regardless of native data exchange methods, these adapters enable interoperability for EHR platforms, IoT medical devices, telemedicine applications, and financial systems.
Overall Benefits
✔ Enhanced real-time data accessibility for faster clinical decisions.
✔ Secure and efficient exchange of bulk healthcare data.
✔ Live IoT data streaming for proactive patient care.
✔ Interoperability between modern and legacy systems.
✔ A future-proof healthcare ecosystem with scalable data exchange.
Final Thoughts
Each data protocol—HTTP, FTP, MQTT, and SOAP—uniquely handles healthcare data, whether it’s real-time patient monitoring, large file transfers, or web-based access. However, relying on a single protocol often leads to inefficiencies and data silos, preventing seamless information flow across healthcare systems.
That’s where AERIS integrates multiple protocols into a FHIR-based real-time data exchange framework. Whether it’s streaming live patient vitals, transferring medical imaging files, facilitating EHR access, or processing insurance transactions, AERIS unifies the data flow so that healthcare providers have the right information at the right time.
Ready to future-proof your healthcare data exchange? Explore how AERIS can help you build a connected, real-time healthcare ecosystem today.
FAQs
1. What is the importance of choosing the right data exchange protocol in healthcare?
Selecting the right protocol affects the speed, security, and efficiency of data exchange between healthcare systems. It plays a crucial role in patient care, interoperability, and system integration.
2. How does HTTP support healthcare data exchange?
HTTP is widely used for web-based healthcare applications, including electronic health records (EHRs), telemedicine platforms, and healthcare APIs that connect patient management systems and wearable health devices.
3. Why is MQTT preferred for IoT-driven healthcare applications?
MQTT is a lightweight messaging protocol that enables real-time communication between connected medical devices like smartwatches, glucose monitors, and hospital automation systems, even in low-bandwidth environments.
4. How does SOAP contribute to secure healthcare data exchange?
SOAP is widely used in regulated healthcare environments because it supports structured transactions, high-security standards, and reliable data exchanges for applications like insurance claims and HL7/FHIR data transmission.
5. How does AERIS help unify multiple healthcare data protocols?
AERIS leverages data adapters that convert HTTP, FTP, MQTT, and SOAP into a unified, FHIR-based format, allowing seamless interoperability between modern and legacy healthcare systems.
6. How does AERIS improve healthcare data interoperability?
AERIS eliminates data silos by allowing different systems—EHR platforms, IoT devices, telemedicine apps, and insurance systems—to communicate effortlessly through real-time data exchange and protocol conversion.
