System C supports a range of interoperability capabilities for either fully integrating third party systems, or providing access to data or communicating with other systems using data exchange techniques.

CareFlow can help to join health and social care in a wide range of different ways, for example, it is able to integrate with:

• All major electronic patient care records
• Hospital services and teams
• Hospital admission, discharge and GP referral tools
• Adults’ and children’s social care systems
• Care Homes

Technology routes include:

HL7 data messaging in near real-time

Our interfacing solution provides a robust, hospital-wide integration architecture for connecting to multiple downstream departmental systems in a bi-directional environment. This integration hub can also securely exchange messages with datacentre-hosted applications via a wide area network (N3) using client certificate authentication. Our EPR platform offers a truly interoperable solution that can develop and evolve with the requirements of the Trust.

System C is accustomed to providing interfacing and integration solutions within complex NHS organisations, including some of the UK’s largest and busiest acute hospital Trusts. Multiple disparate “downstream” systems (such as clinical or departmental applications) need to share data in near real time with the “master” (PAS/EPR) in order to ensure that data is accurate and synchronised across all systems.

Linking to national systems (PDS, eReferrals)

System C solutions integrate to national systems such as PDS and eReferrals via a set of HSCIC specified HL7 V3 messages required for compliance. All relevant applications (CareFlow, CarePlus and Liquidlogic) are compliant with NPfIT national systems and MiM standards, to access and edit information where available.

Portal-style click-through integration (with user and patient context)

Data can be displayed by calling third party systems from within the EPR using our Interoperability Framework. This mechanism supports single sign-on and the maintenance of user and patient context with third party systems. Many systems have already been integrated using this method, including:

• All major Shared Care Record systems
• Bluespier Theatres
• Sunquest ICE
• Multiple vendors’ EDMS systems
• Multiple vendors’ PACS systems
• Multiple encoders
• A variety of clinical systems such as Theatres, Maternity etc.

Portal-style click-in facilities

Functionality can be embedded within third party desktop applications. This enables users of third-party applications to click-through in to CareFlow and be presented in user/patient and where appropriate, workflow context. Support is currently provided for the following use cases:

• Full Electronic Case note
• Place Order
• View and Acknowledge Results
• View Documents

Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)

Supplementing the record

Our Interoperability Framework also includes the capability to configure our solutions to consume other vendors’ web services. This allows data from other suitably capable external systems to be amalgamated into the Patient’s record without the need to persist data. This also enables the user to drill down into a more detailed record, taking the user from a summary of the information provided to the details surrounding that patient information.

Sharing the record

Additionally, System C is providing a range of APIs which will support customers to facilitate development of local clinical applications utilising data sourced from our EPR platform. We have signed up to the TechUK Interoperability Charter and we have already developed and tested the first tranche of APIs for use with System C’s own mobile/hand-held solutions. Further APIs are under development and will extend the interoperability capabilities of our suite of products, including the capability to link with mobile devices and “apps” built for those devices.

As one the UK’s leading suppliers of EPR systems, System C has significant experience of the interfacing and integration requirements of the breadth of clinical and administrative systems in use.