A general framework for interoperability with applications to healthcare

•Provide a formal method to define the interoperability of a system composed of modules that need to exchange data.•An Interoperability Matrix and its associated Interoperability Flow Graph represent different types of interoperability between related applications.•This formal representation is useful for flow graph algorithms that determine interoperability traits within a group of related applications.•The reduce cost of achieving interoperability is short-term and incurred in the design phase, while the benefit reaped is long-term.

PurposeThe contribution of this paper is to provide a formalized methodology to define, specify or design a system of application modules that communicate information between the components. First this paper defines several types of interoperability. Second, it provides a framework for specifying and analyzing the interoperability of existing or proposed medical systems. Third, it provides a simple example of a provider ordering a prescription for a patient to illustrate the interoperability of the proposed healthcare application systems.MethodologyOur theory-based methodology includes an extensive literature search on interoperability, practical experience in standardizing the Internet, and graph theory.ResultsOur results include a framework to specify, define, plan, and perform analysis on a set of applications that need to exchange information. Within this framework, an Interoperability Matrix and its associated Interoperability Flow Graph represent different types of interoperability between related applications. This formal representation is useful first to define the architecture and also provides the option of using graph algorithms that determine interoperability traits within a group of related applications.ConclusionIn conclusion, this framework presents a formal methodology to define and classify interoperability within a set of related applications.