Developer Ecosystem

Software Development in openEHR

openEHR is a standards framework that defines information models and APIs of a health data computing platform that includes the Clinical Data Repository (CDR), terminology, and integration components.

The platform is model-driven, using clinically developed archetypes and templates built by designers or developers.

These models are developed independently from the IT development, and are injected at runtime into the deployed platform. Queries are based on the archetypes, not the DB schema.

Only limited coding is required, allowing business and domain experts to build openEHR applications.

With openEHR, software development is different.

Low-code App Development

Many simpler openEHR applications can be developed with a low-code development tool, available with many of the platform implementations.

First templates are built containing the UI form data sets, based on archetypes, using the Archetype Designer.

Next a low-code app-builder tool is used to create forms from templates, adding UI elements and screen workflow, to produce the app.

The low-code tool takes care of the app connection to the openEHR platform.

Developer forum

Complex App Development

Complex openEHR applications (e.g. e-prescribing, decision support) are developed using templates built from archetypes, using the Archetype Designer. Tools help connect the screen elements to programming elements, e.g. via micro-APIs.

The main logic of the application is developed in the usual way.

Connection to the platform is programmed using the published REST APIs.

Developer forum

Integration Developers

Integration is one of the most challenging areas of e-health. openEHR helps by:

• providing a high-quality target for all clinical data, including lab results, investigations, diagnostic and plans

• enabling templates to be built to mimic messages, using Archetype Designer

• integrating standards including HL7 FHIR, IHE and others

Platform Developers

The openEHR platform is where back-end IT professionals are at home. The platform is based on:

• a stable Reference Model - defines the data of the EHR
• the Archetype Model - enables template injection
• REST APIs - defines CDR interaction
• decision support, via Guideline Definition Language

There are open source and commercial openEHR platforms available. Developing a new one is based on the extensive openEHR technical specifications.