Standardized and flexible health data management with an archetype driven EHR system (EHRflex)

Abstract

To build a semantically interoperable Electronic Health Record is one of the most challenging research fields in health informatics. In order to reach this objective, EHR standards that formally describe health data structures have to be used. CEN EN13606 is one of the most promising approaches. It covers the technical needs for semantic interoperability and, at the same time, it incorporates a mechanism (archetype model) that enables clinical domain experts to participate in building an EHR system. In this paper we present EHRflex, a generic system based on archetypes. It empowers the clinician and allows him to manage his own EHR system in a simple and generic way, assuring that the user works with underlying standardized data structures. These can be exchanged with other people and systems when needed. EHRflex introduces EHR standards into the clinical routine delivering a technical platform which works directly on archetype based data.