Compliance-first delivery
Onboard to any HIE — and actually exchange data
Health Information Exchanges let providers share patient records securely across organisations, closing gaps when patients move between hospitals, clinics and labs. Joining one is rarely simple: each exchange publishes a specification of IHE integration profiles, document formats, certificates and security rules that must be implemented exactly, then proven through conformance and connectivity testing. Projects commonly stall for months on patient-matching rules, C-CDA validation errors or certificate set-up.
We work from the exchange’s specification through to live data flow. That includes implementing XDS.b for document sharing, PIX/PDQ for patient identity, XCA for cross-community access and ATNA for audit and node authentication; generating and validating C-CDA documents that pass the exchange’s checks; configuring HL7 v2 and FHIR feeds; and handling certificates, endpoints and test cycles. Your EHR is connected to the exchange through an integration engine built by our Mirth Connect engineers, with data mapping from our HL7, FHIR and EDI integration practice.
You end up with standards-compliant, audited participation in the exchange, documented for your HIPAA program, and an interface that is monitored after go-live through our interface engine support. If your EHR is OpenEMR, we can handle both sides of the connection.
- IHE profiles: XDS.b, PIX/PDQ, XCA, ATNA, XCPD
- C-CDA generation, validation and consumption
- HL7 v2 and FHIR feeds to and from the exchange
- Certificates, endpoints and connectivity testing
- ATNA audit logging and HIPAA-aligned security
What's Included
Everything you need, delivered by a senior, security-first team.
HIE Onboarding
End-to-end onboarding to regional/national HIEs — from spec review to live connectivity testing.
CCDA Documents
Generate, validate and consume C-CDA documents that pass exchange conformance checks.
Patient Identity
PIX/PDQ patient identity matching and cross-referencing across communities.
Document Exchange
XDS.b and XCA document sharing and cross-community access.
Security & Audit
ATNA-compliant audit logging, TLS and certificate management.
Engine Integration
Wire the HIE into your EHR via Mirth Connect and HL7/FHIR interfaces.
Standards-compliant Health Information Exchange integration
Joining a Health Information Exchange (HIE) lets your organisation securely share and retrieve patient records across the wider care community — improving coordination and closing gaps in the record. The hard part is onboarding: every HIE publishes a specification of IHE profiles, document formats and security requirements that must be implemented exactly and then proven through conformance testing. We follow a structured approach from specification review to live, validated data flow.
IHE profiles we implement
- XDS.b — cross-enterprise document sharing (register, provide and retrieve documents).
- PIX / PDQ — patient identity cross-referencing and demographics query.
- XCA — cross-community access to documents held by other communities.
- XCPD — cross-community patient discovery.
- ATNA — audit trail and node authentication for secure, accountable exchange.
- XUA — cross-enterprise user assertion where required.
Exchange models compared
| Model | How it works | Typical standards |
|---|---|---|
| Query-based exchange | Find a patient, then query and retrieve their documents | XCPD, XCA, XDS.b, PIX/PDQ |
| Directed exchange | Push a document to a known recipient | Direct secure messaging, XDR |
| Event notifications | Receive alerts when a patient is admitted or discharged | HL7 v2 ADT |
| API-based exchange | RESTful access to data | FHIR R4, US Core |
Documents, feeds and connectivity
We generate and validate C-CDA documents that pass exchange conformance checks, configure HL7 v2 and FHIR feeds to and from the HIE, and handle the certificates, endpoints, secure transport and connectivity testing the exchange requires — with ATNA audit logging throughout. For FHIR-based exchange, see FHIR interoperability services.
From your EHR to the exchange
We bridge your EHR — OpenEMR or a commercial system — to the HIE using an integration engine such as Mirth Connect, mapping your data to the required C-CDA, HL7 or FHIR formats.
Onboarding steps
- Review the HIE’s technical specification, participation agreement requirements and test plan.
- Gap analysis of your EHR’s data and document capabilities.
- Build the profiles, document generation and patient identity matching.
- Conformance and connectivity testing in the HIE’s test environment.
- Production cut-over, monitoring and ongoing support.
Common pitfalls
- Patient matching problems caused by inconsistent demographics in the source system.
- C-CDA documents that are structurally valid but missing required sections or codes.
- Expired certificates breaking connectivity without warning.
- No monitoring of failed queries or submissions after go-live.
Security and compliance
HIE exchange relies on TLS, node authentication, audit logging and access controls. We implement these to the exchange’s specification and document them for your HIPAA compliance programme. Background on the standards involved is in HL7 vs FHIR: A Practical Guide.
From HIE Specification to Live Exchange
Specification Review
Analyse the exchange’s requirements and map them to your EHR data and workflows.
Build
Implement IHE transactions, C-CDA generation and HL7/FHIR feeds in the integration engine.
Conformance Testing
Validate documents, run connectivity tests and work through the exchange’s test cycles.
Go Live & Monitor
Production cutover with audit logging, monitoring and ongoing support.
Frequently Asked Questions
An HIE is a network that lets healthcare organisations securely share patient information electronically across different systems and providers. Connecting to one requires implementing its specified standards and passing its conformance testing.
The profiles HIEs typically require: XDS.b for document sharing, PIX/PDQ for patient identity, XCPD and XCA for cross-community discovery and access, ATNA for audit and node authentication, and XUA where required, along with C-CDA, HL7 v2 and FHIR feeds.
Yes. We bridge OpenEMR and commercial EHRs to HIEs using an integration engine such as Mirth Connect, mapping your data to the required C-CDA, HL7 or FHIR formats and handling connectivity and security.
It depends on the exchange’s requirements, your EHR’s capabilities and the HIE’s testing schedule. The main effort is implementing the profiles correctly and passing conformance testing; we give you a plan after reviewing the specification.
Usually fixed-price after a specification review, covering build, testing and go-live, with optional monthly support for monitoring, certificate renewals and changes.
HIE exchange is built on TLS, node authentication, ATNA audit logging and access controls. We implement these to the exchange’s specification and document the controls for your HIPAA programme.
Ready to get started with HIE Integration?
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