Developing EDI messages and supporting data models: a "bottom up" approach based on "single business purpose"...

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Information Systems
• Healthcare Administration

Background:

• Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is crucial for exchanging patient, administrative, and clinical data.
• Current literature lacks criteria for defining the scope of individual EDI messages.
• Existing approaches focus on large, framework messages and predefined healthcare models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose an alternative approach to defining EDI message content.
• To argue for the development of discrete, single-purpose EDI messages.
• To critically evaluate the prevailing method of using a predefined healthcare delivery system model.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on EDI message modeling and scope definition.
• Analysis of existing EDI message development approaches in Europe and the US.
• Examination of the Open EDI Group's work and user acceptance of developed messages.

Main Results:

• The paper argues for a greater number of discrete, simpler single-purpose EDI messages over superset framework messages.
• The validity of using a predefined 'model of the healthcare delivery system' for EDI message content is questioned.
• Early user acceptance of messages developed using the advocated approach is noted.

Conclusions:

• A modular approach with simpler, single-purpose EDI messages is recommended for better definition and modeling.
• Rethinking the foundational models for EDI message content is necessary.
• Further research and adoption of this approach can improve healthcare data exchange.