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The OpenHIE Interoperability Layer Community (OHIE-IOL) aims to enable easier interoperability between Health Information Systems by providing a forum for discussion and knowledge sharing and by designing and developing an interoperability layer that connects the components within the OHIE. 

What is an Interoperability Layer?

An interoperability layer is a system that enables easier interoperability between disparate information systems by connecting all of the infrastructure services and client applications together. In the OpenHIE context these systems are Health Information Systems (HISs) such as a client registry, provider registry, facility registry, shared health record and terminology service.   An interoperability layer receives transactions from client systems, coordinates interaction between components of the HIE and provides common core functions to simplify the interoperability between systems.  

The interoperability layer developed by this community is the OpenHIM (Open Health Information Mediator),an open-source middleware system based on an ESB architecture and currently implemented in Rwanda as part of the RHIE. More details about this tool are available at openhim.org  and the code is available on Github.  Plans for current development activities can be seen on the technical development roadmap and all the supporting technical documentation can be found here.