Component architecture in HIS: a drug order entry case study

Historically, many healthcare information systems (HIS) have been designed around monolithic architectures that rely upon a single organization to provide most, if not all, of the system's business logic. Recent advances in distributed systems technology and healthcare standards make a component-based architecture feasible in building today's HIS. The First DataBank Drug Toolkit is used as a case study for the role of components in the design of a HIS. Several technical challenges associated with building truly plug and play components are discussed.