Achieving Interoperability Between Arden-Syntax-Based Clinical Decision Support and openEHR-Based Data Systems.

BACKGROUND

Arden Syntax is an international standard for medical knowledge representation and processing. The openEHR Foundation publishes specifications for the creation of electronic health records based on interoperable data models.

OBJECTIVES

To perform a feasibility study showing how Arden Syntax medical logic modules (MLMs) can access openEHR data.

METHODS

Medexter's ArdenSuite was applied as an implementation of an Arden-Syntax-based clinical decision support framework, and Marand's EhrScape as an implementation of an openEHR system, for the purpose of data exchange. To assess their interoperability, we developed a use case in which ArdenSuite was connected to EhrScape; the purpose was to determine whether a patient suffers from orthostatic hypotension based on data supplied by EhrScape and decision support provided by Arden Syntax MLMs.

RESULTS

An archetype query language request was sent from an MLM to EhrScape, and the results were sent back.

CONCLUSION

This preliminary study clearly shows that the ArdenSuite's MLMs can communicate with openEHR-based data sources.