The Open Health Information Exchange is composed of the OpenHIE Component Layer (e.g. Client Registry, Health Facilities Registry, Health Worker Registry, Shared Health Record, Terminology Services, etc.) which is connected to External Systems for health data exchange through the Interoperability Services Layer also known as an ‘enterprise services bus’ or ESB.
OpenHIE’s architecture is made up of six open-source software components, all interacting/interoperating to ensure that health information from various external systems is gathered into a unified person-centric medical record.
To accomplish this, the exchange normalizes the context in which health information is created across four dimensions:
- Who received health services,
- Who provided those services,
- Where did they receive the services, and
- What specific care did they receive.
By focusing on the “For Whom”, “By Whom”, “Where”, and “What” of a patient's health visit we help to bring relevant information directly to the point of care. This supports enhanced decision-making, improves the quality, safety and continuity of care, and facilitates the appropriate use of information to improve population health.
Refer to OpenHIE Architecture & Standards for further details.