How Open Source Software is Being Used for Health Information Exchange

Back in 2010, a task force convened by the HIMSS Health Information Exchange (HIE) Open Source Task Force focused on assessing how open source software was being used by HIE organizations.

According to their definition, HIE refers to any ongoing exchange of electronic clinical information between organizations such as hospitals, physician offices, clinics, clinical research groups, public health entities and quality assurance groups. It also includes the ongoing exchange between care provider organizations and consumers’ personal health records (PHRs).

The Task Force identified several open source development organizations that were solely dedicated to healthcare information technology. The majority of the Task Force’s work effort occurred between September, 2009, and April, 2010, and these organizations are still in the forefront of the movement...