FHIRForm: An Open-Source Framework for the Management of Electronic Forms in Healthcare

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Data Science
• Software Engineering

Background:

• Electronic forms (E-forms) are crucial for health information systems in public health and clinical research.
• Standardized E-forms ensure data accuracy, consistent rendering, maintainability, and interoperability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore challenges in standardized healthcare data capture.
• To propose a pragmatic, open-source solution for an ideal E-form framework.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an innovation research method.
• Appraised existing standards and software.
• Proposed requirements for an ideal E-form framework.
• Leveraged FHIR specification and open-source tools.

Main Results:

• A proposed open-source E-form framework leveraging FHIR.
• Identified requirements for an ideal E-form system.
• Demonstrated extensibility and collaborative potential.
• Illustrated value using InterRAI instruments.

Conclusions:

• The proposed open-source solution offers a pragmatic approach to standardized E-form data capture in healthcare.
• The framework supports collaborative extension and demonstrates value through practical examples.