Integration of electronic patient record context with message context

A methodology to construct specific messages with clear objectives inside clinical processes, while simultaneously including contextual information, remains a problem today. This paper addresses the issue of combining specific message context (process driven) with the context of a patient record (patient centered). In Belgium, simplified conceptual models for Electronic Patient Record (EPR) architecture and for message architecture, based on previous comprehensive and international work, have been produced, validated and mapped into an integrated message format. The resulting model described in this paper highlights the main conceptual links between both basic models: at the action level and at the Transaction level. Using XML, some parts of the model have already been implemented in various national projects. Key lessons learned may be imported at the international level.