Although there has been a widespread adoption of electronic health records, the integration of healthcare data remains a crucial challenge for the healthcare industry as it endeavours to achieve interoperability.
In addition, healthcare entities need to understand that real data integration means working with the right technology partners to ensure that all challenges are met.
“Too many healthcare organisations cling tightly to their data, and who can blame them?” said Andre Froneman, Business Unit Manager at Axiz.
“With an increasingly stringent regulatory environment, protecting their customers personal information and privacy is paramount.”
However, Froneman says embracing data integration technology will result in infinitely better care for patients, as well as streamlined operations, greater efficiencies and cost savings
This is where Magic Software, a global provider of end-to-end integration and application development, comes in, adds Froneman.
“Through Axiz, a host of healthcare providers are now benefiting from the Magic XPI Integration Platform, a single platform for dynamic, limitless connectivity,” he said.
And it is not only benefiting hospitals; it is also helping provider and payer organisations including HMOs, PPOs, medical centres, clinics, skilled nursing facilities, health information providers, senior health care providers, dental centres and medical offices.
According to Froneman, Magic Software brings unique business benefits for healthcare providers across the board.
“Firstly, their software boasts open standards for flexible compliance,” he said.
“Magic’s XPI Integration Platform helps organisations gain fast regulatory compliance by bridging standards through a technology approach to process integration that is totally neutral. Instead of attempting to force adoption of one standard, Magic XPI understand the wide range of standards used across the healthcare industries today. And only by supporting the widest possible array of standards, can you assure the future value of IT investments, as well as leverage existing infrastructure investments and lower the time required to implement workable compliance solutions for this industry?”
“Currently, HIPAA standards for exchange of healthcare information are based on Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). Magic XPI is the perfect solution to enable healthcare organisations to become compliant in line with the HIPAA standards based on EDI.
“The majority of healthcare applications, specifically the older legacy applications, make use of information exchange via HL7. In this way, data transformation to and from HL7 remains a crucial need for many healthcare customers. Magix XPI features a specialised connector for HL7, offering a fantastic framework for managing the business processes around these data transformations, and doing this in a way that guarantees the best degree of operational integrity.”
Magic XPI also features RFID data integration, added Froneman.
“There is a growing interest in using radio frequency identification devices for tasks such as patient tracking, pharmaceuticals logistics and hazardous or biowaste management,” he said.
“RFID is a compelling offering as it is an efficient and cost-effective way for healthcare IT professionals to incorporate new technologies with existing applications and systems.
“In addition, the platform offers superior XML handling. As a growing number of healthcare industry protocols are moving to the use of XML to replace EDI, healthcare organisations don’t have to worry with the Magic XPI and Magic XPA, the company’s low-code platform. The platforms’ visual data mapping tools allow users to create quick relationships and transformations to and from XML, SQL, HTML and suchlike.”
In terms of scalability, Froneman says Magic’s technology can handle even the most exacting performance needs. Magic XPI has been employed in single server settings with demands exceeding one million synchronous transactions each day, and for more demanding workloads, it features robust load balancing technology for the utilisation of many servers at the same time.
“In fact, Magic’s largest customer synchronies server data in almost 200 nations around the world,” said Froneman, who adds it is important to remember that no solution or product is effective unless it is used properly.
“With this in mind, Magic Software’s full technical support, training and professional services options to guarantee that all clients’ crucial operations are continually backed by a team of consummate professionals that are ready to handle any support issues as they arise.”
Magic also offers a range of training options to suit every need, including self-paced computer-based instruction and online seminars.
In addition, Magic XPI offers superior reliability.
“It features the most robust transaction broker technology, assuring clients of the highest degree of operational integrity,” said Froneman.
“The platform also allows for complex business processes with multiple ‘rollback’ levels. In addition, an upstream process can be reversed according to the organisation’s policies whenever a downstream process upon which it depends has failed or is experiencing an exception condition that can be defined.
“XPI allows for strong integration capabilities in IoT, file stores, EDI, communications and databases. This means that where XPI is installed, ‘Healthcare 4.0’, will be the next logical step towards a fully digital, data driven organisation.”
