Context
FHIR® – Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (hl7.org/fhir) – is the next generation standards framework created by HL7 International. FHIR combines the best features of HL7's v2 
, HL7 v3 and CDA product lines while leveraging the latest web standards and applying a tight focus on implementability.
While the standards is still in its infancy, not having reached Normative status yet, there is an increasing number of early adopters that are rushing in to capitalize on its promise - easier and faster integration. There is ample written material on the web that both praises FHIR and warns against reckless adoption practices. This site will attempt to collect the most relevant factual arguments in an effort to bring some clarity and alignment for Canadian implementers.
Brief overview of FHIR
An executive overview of what FHIR is for those not living it on a daily basis.
Strengths
What is it that makes FHIR great? Listing it's core strengths will help define best practices to capitalize on these and highlight adverse affects of not following them.
Challenges
Known and predicted obstacles preventing successful adoption. These considerations should inform the audience on immediate challenges faced when developing or implementing with FHIR.
Things to consider:
- Expect a high degree of structural change for most Resources caused by a very low overall maturity level. FHIR defines a Resource's maturity level on a scale of 0 - 5, lowest to highest. It is only 4 and higher that guarantees backwards compatibility, consequently, early implementers should expect disruptive upgrade paths for their implementations.
- Version variants for Resources and increases in early engagement are expected to flood the market with a large number of
The stakeholder perspective
List the various stakeholders categories and how FHIR supports their problem space.
Project Sponsors
Modellers
System implementers
Integrators
PoS applications
Government
Best practices
This is the place to draw on collective wisdom and list what it is that the recommended best approach is for FHIR development to lead to predictable and scalable adoption. We may even be able to break this down per stakeholder category.
Develop a set of recommendation and best practices for implementation work using FHIR, such as:
- Community engagement for creating and using FHIR artifacts (consider governance by adoption) – best practices and pitfalls
- Guidance and training track on creating properly formed, complete FHIR solutions
- Stimulate solution sharing with a central registry of reusable FHIR artifacts (incentivize sharing of people’s work)
- Find practical means of solving for frequent problems (e.g. URI, ValueSets, pan-Canadian top profiles, etc.) – develop guides
Longitudinal record of the project requiring a FHIR implementation (Business Requirements to Specifications) – cater to all stakeholder groups not just developers so that decision makers can also understand what an IG has delivered
Supporting networks and resources
A place to collect useful information for stakeholders.
Showcase
Examples of successful development and adoption while exploring a roadmap of how this could evolve in the future.
Conclusion
This should be no longer that 2-3 paragraphs and it should draw out the essence of what those considering getting involved in FHIR should know.