Short answer

Integrate standardized healthcare data models, such as FHIR, into the core architecture of health-related applications to ensure seamless data exchange and efficient public health reporting.

Field
User-Centred Design
Source
Online Journal of Public Health Informatics (2021)
Method
Needs assessment, application design, and development.
Evidence
Strong effect

A mobile application designed with a FHIR-native architecture can efficiently collect patient-reported outcomes for public health surveillance, reducing manual data collection burdens. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2021 study published in Online Journal of Public Health Informatics. Using Needs assessment, application design, and development., researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Integrate standardized healthcare data models, such as FHIR, into the core architecture of health-related applications to ensure seamless data exchange and efficient public health reporting.

Study
User-Centred DesignHigh ImpactStrong effect

FHIR-Native Symptom Tracker Streamlines Public Health Reporting

A mobile application designed with a FHIR-native architecture can efficiently collect patient-reported outcomes for public health surveillance, reducing manual data collection burdens.

Online Journal of Public Health Informatics · 2021

01

Key Findings

  • 01A FHIR-native mobile application can effectively collect patient-reported outcomes for public health.
  • 02Leveraging FHIR for information architecture and interface strategy reduces integration barriers with public health systems.
  • 03FHIR supports rapid application development by providing a domain-appropriate data model and tooling.
  • 04Gaps in the FHIR specification need to be recognized and addressed.
02

Application

Design takeaway

Integrate standardized healthcare data models, such as FHIR, into the core architecture of health-related applications to ensure seamless data exchange and efficient public health reporting.

How to apply

When designing health-tracking or public health reporting tools, consider using FHIR as the underlying data structure to ensure compatibility with existing health information systems and to facilitate data sharing.

Project actions

  • 01Consider using established data standards in your design projects to improve compatibility and data sharing.
  • 02When designing for health or public services, think about how users can directly contribute data that benefits the wider community.
03

Method & Evidence

AimTo develop a reusable, mobile-friendly application for collecting patient-reported outcomes and experiences to support COVID-19 symptom self-monitoring and data sharing with public health agencies, using FHIR for interoperability.
MethodNeeds assessment, application design, and development.
ProcedureA needs assessment was conducted to understand user and public health agency requirements. Based on this, the 'StayHome' mobile application was designed and developed, utilizing FHIR as the primary data model and driver of business logic. The application was deployed using various technologies including Keycloak, AWS, and Docker.
ContextPublic health surveillance and disease management, specifically for COVID-19.

Variables

IVFHIR-native architecture (vs. non-standardized architecture).
DVEfficiency of data collection and reporting, ease of integration with public health systems.
CVMobile application platform, specific public health reporting requirements.
04

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

  • +Demonstrates a practical, real-world application of FHIR.
  • +Addresses a critical public health need during a pandemic.
  • +Provides open-source code and resources for replication.

Limitations

The study notes that the FHIR standard itself has some limitations that need to be managed during development.

Reliability & validity

The reliability of the application's data collection is likely high due to standardized data structures. Validity is supported by the direct reporting of symptoms by users, though it relies on self-reporting accuracy. The study's methodology (needs assessment, design, development) provides a framework for evaluating the system's effectiveness.

Think critically

How might the adoption of FHIR impact the user experience of a health application, and what trade-offs might exist between strict adherence to standards and user-centric design flexibility?

05

Design Principles

"Standardized data models facilitate interoperability and efficiency in health information systems."

This approach demonstrates how leveraging standardized healthcare data models like FHIR can create interoperable and scalable solutions for public health initiatives. It highlights the potential for direct user input to inform and accelerate outbreak management and public health responses.

06

What This Means for Your Design

This study shows that making a COVID-19 symptom tracker app using a special healthcare language called FHIR made it easier for people to report their symptoms and for health officials to get the information they needed quickly.

How to use in your project

  • 1.Reference this study when discussing the importance of data standards and interoperability in your design process, particularly if your project involves data collection or sharing.
  • 2.Use the concept of a 'FHIR-native' approach as an example of how to build a system around a specific data model for improved functionality.
07

Add to My Project

08

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

The development of the 'StayHome' COVID-19 symptom tracker highlights the significant benefits of employing a FHIR-native architecture. By embedding the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standard into the core of the application's information architecture and interface strategy, the project achieved enhanced interoperability and streamlined data collection for public health reporting. This approach reduced the technical barriers to integrating user-reported outcomes with existing public health information systems, demonstrating a practical application of standardized data models for improving public health surveillance efficiency.

09

Source

Online Journal of Public Health Informatics

StayHome: A FHIR-Native Mobile COVID-19 Symptom Tracker and Public Health Reporting Tool

journal · 2021

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about fhir-native symptom tracker streamlines public health reporting?
Integrate standardized healthcare data models, such as FHIR, into the core architecture of health-related applications to ensure seamless data exchange and efficient public health reporting. Evidence: Online Journal of Public Health Informatics (2021).
Why does "FHIR-Native Symptom Tracker Streamlines Public Health Reporting" matter for design?
This approach demonstrates how leveraging standardized healthcare data models like FHIR can create interoperable and scalable solutions for public health initiatives. It highlights the potential for direct user input to inform and accelerate outbreak management and public health responses.
How can designers apply this research?
Integrate standardized healthcare data models, such as FHIR, into the core architecture of health-related applications to ensure seamless data exchange and efficient public health reporting.
What were the main findings?
A FHIR-native mobile application can effectively collect patient-reported outcomes for public health.. Leveraging FHIR for information architecture and interface strategy reduces integration barriers with public health systems.. FHIR supports rapid application development by providing a domain-appropriate data model and tooling.. Gaps in the FHIR specification need to be recognized and addressed.
What research method was used?
Needs assessment, application design, and development..
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2021 journal from Online Journal of Public Health Informatics.
What should I do differently in my next project?
When designing health-tracking or public health reporting tools, consider using FHIR as the underlying data structure to ensure compatibility with existing health information systems and to facilitate data sharing.
What are the limitations?
Gaps exist within the FHIR specification that require careful consideration and potential workarounds during implementation.