HL7 Standards

Version 2.x Messaging Standard

V2 Messages, formally published as "Application Protocol for Electronic Data Exchange in Healthcare Environments" is an interoperability specification for transactions produced and received by computer systems. These specifications are published as a collection of chapters that describe the transaction interactions by domain.

Version 3 Messaging Standard

V3 Messages is an interoperability specification for transactions that are derived from the HL7 V3 Foundation models and vocabulary and define communications produced and received by computer systems. V3 Messages include the concepts of message wrappers, sequential interactions, and model-based message payloads. These specifications are published as a collection of topics that describe the transaction interactions by domain.

Version 3 Rules/GELLO

GELLO is a standard expression language for decision support. The syntax of the GELLO language is based on the Object Constraint Language (OCL). OCL was developed by the Object Management Group (OMG) as a constraint and query language for UML class models. Given that the HL7 Version 3 Reference Information Model (RIM) and associated Refined Message Information Models (R-MIMs) are based on UML, GELLO was designed to leverage the semantics of these HL7 models, in combination with HL7 Vocabulary and Data Types, for clinical decision support.

Arden Syntax

Arden is a "rules syntax" specification that allows rules to be individually published independently of a computer system and subsequently imported into computer systems for healthcare use. Arden implementation guides are published in a modular format by content providers, a guide for each rule.

CCOW / Visual Integration

Visual Integration Messages are an interoperability specification for visual integration of applications that allows users to experience an integrated computer-user session on the desktop. Clinical Context Object Workgroup is an interoperability specification for visual integration of applications that allows users to experience an integrated computer-user session on the desktop. Messages are specified that flow between presentation-level applications that synchronize the user identifier, patient identifier, and/or observation identifier across multiple applications for a "single sign-on, single-patient-look-up user experience."

Claims Attachments

Standard Electronic Attachments, either to the claim or other healthcare transactions are a means of electronically exchanging additional information to augment another healthcare transaction, such as a healthcare claim, prior authorization, referrals, or public health reporting. Examples of such information include the clinical and administrative information often necessary to adjudicate claims for ambulance, rehabilitation, or emergency room services. The goal of Standard Healthcare Attachments is to make the process of submitting and adjudicating healthcare claims (and other transactions if desired) more efficient by providing structured, standardized electronic data to payers.

Clinical Document Architecture (a V3-based standard)

The CDA Release 2.0 provides an exchange model for clinical documents (such as discharge summaries and progress notes) - and brings the healthcare industry closer to the realization of an electronic medical record. By leveraging the use of XML, the HL7 Reference Information Model (RIM) and coded vocabularies, the CDA makes documents both machine-readable - ;so they are easily parsed and processed electronically - and human-readable - so they can be easily retrieved and used by the people who need them. CDA documents can be displayed using XML-aware Web browsers or wireless applications such as cell phones. While Release 2.0 retains the simplicity of rendering and clear definition of clinical documents formulated in Release 1.0 (2000), it provides state-of-the-art interoperability for machine-readable coded semantics. The product of 5 years of improvements, CDA R2 body is based on the HL7 Clinical Statement model, is fully RIM-compliant and capable of driving decision support and other sophisticated applications, while retaining the simple rendering of legally-authenticated narrative.

Electronic Health Record / Personal Health Record

The HL7 EHR System Functional Model provides a reference list of functions that may be present in an Electronic Health Record System (EHR-S). The function list is described from a user perspective with the intent to enable consistent expression of system functionality. This EHR-S Model, through the creation of Functional Profiles, enables a standardized description and common understanding of functions sought or available in a given setting (e.g. intensive care, cardiology, office practice in one country or primary care in another country).

Structured Product Labeling (a V3-based standard)

Often know as "product labels", "package inserts", or "prescribing information", these documents contain the authorized published information that accompanies any medicine licensed by a medicines licensing authority. The SPL specification is a document markup standard that specifies the structure and semantics of these documents and is generally analogous to the HL7 Clinical Document Architecture (CDA) although there are some fundamental differences between the two. This standard may be of interest to regulatory authorities or any organization that is required by law to submit a product information document because it is responsible for the creation or marketing of a product, or any other person or organization compelled by other motives to submit information about products, whether originally created or not.