Quality framework for semantic interoperability in health informatics: definition and implementation

Aligned with the increased adoption of Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems, it is recognized that semantic interoperability provides benefits for promoting patient safety and continuity of care. This thesis proposes a framework of quality metrics and recommendations for developing semantic interoperability resources specially focused on clinical information models, which are defined as formal specifications of structure and semantics for representing EHR information for a specific domain or use case. This research started with an exploratory stage that performed a systematic literature review with an international survey about the clinical information modelling best practice and barriers. The results obtained were used to define a set of quality models that were validated through Delphi study methodologies and end user survey, and also compared with related quality standards in those areas that standardization bodies had a related work programme. According to the obtained research results, the defined framework is based in the following models: Development process quality model: evaluates the alignment with the best practice in clinical information modelling and defines metrics for evaluating the tools applied as part of this process. Product quality model: evaluates the semantic interoperability capabilities of clinical information models based on the defined meta-data, data elements and terminology bindings. Quality in use model: evaluates the suitability of adopting semantic interoperability resources by end users in their local projects and organisations. Finally, the quality in use model was implemented within the European Interoperability Asset register developed by the EXPAND project with the aim of applying this quality model in a broader scope to contain any relevant material for guiding the definition, development and implementation of interoperable eHealth systems in our continent. Several European projects already expressed interest in using the register, which will now be sustained by the European Institute for Innovation through Health Data

Hub-and-spoke Interoperability: an out of the skies approach for large-scale data interoperability

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Doutor em Engenharia Electrotécnica e de ComputadoresData Interoperability is a key challenge in large-scale heterogeneous environments. In here, interoperability via standards is not feasible or even possible; then, the classic approach, Point-to-Point (P2P) Interoperability, presents here two key problems: the trouble of non-modifiable systems that inhibit full possible interoperability and the excessive quantity of interoperability resources needed for establishing interoperability. A new approach is required for sustaining interoperability in those environments! Laterally thinking, commercial air transportation environments exhibit similar properties and problems to Data Interoperability environments and therefore face comparable difficulties. Outstanding approaches such as scissor-hub operations and the hub-andspoke paradigm have managed to address those challenges in commercial air transportation environments. Which, looking from data interoperability perspective, raises the idea of Mediated Interoperability and Interoperability Compositions. From there, a novel approach for data interoperability is proposed, the Hub-and-Spoke(H&S) Interoperability, as the hypothesis for addressing data interoperability in largescale environments. The H&S Interoperability approach fully solves the interoperability coverage problem and significantly reduces the number of resources needed for realising interoperability, thus outperforming P2P Interoperability. At the end, it is provided a technological realisation of the H&S approach, as the Plug’n’Interoperate solution, built upon plug-and-play principles applied to data interoperability

TOWARDS SEMANTIC INTEROPERABILTY In-depth comparison of two approaches to solving Semantic Web Service Challenge mediation tasks

Abstract: This paper overviews and compares the DERI and DEI-Cefriel approaches to the SWS-Challenge workshop mediation scenario in terms of the utilized underlying technologies and delivered solutions. In the mediation scenario one partner uses RosettaNet to define its B2B protocol while the other one operates on a proprietary solution. Goal of the workshop participants was to show how could these partners be semantically integrated.