What Is the Difference Between HL7 and APIs?
Oct 07, 2021
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HL7 and API are both used for exchanging health care data. While they can both serve the same general purpose, they also have some significant differences. By understanding more about HL7 and API, you can choose which option best suits your business needs.The essential difference between HL7 and API can be found in what the acronyms stand for. API stands for "Application Programming Interfaces" while HL7 stands for "Health Level 7". This indicates that HL7 was developed specifically for healthcare applications while API has more general use.
What is HL7?
HL7 is an industry standard for electronic healthcare data exchange that was created in 1987 by a committee of healthcare experts and computer scientists. Since its inception, it has been updated on many occasions since and now includes standards for exchanging clinical information and administrative data, like insurance eligibility status or patient demographics.
What is an API?
APIs are more modern tools, which allow developers to access certain features of programs through their interface without having to know how the program's source code works. They are focused on building specific applications with limited functionality rather than creating large-scale systems (like HL7) that can be used across industries and fields of study.
When to Use HL7 and When to Use APIs
HL7 works best for situations where there's a large organization that has to share data with many other organizations, such as a health insurer. It allows different databases and programs to connect and exchange data seamlessly. For example, you can use HL7 to transfer information about patient records, lab results, or billing details. To complete this, you need healthcare software development.
So, how do you know which tool to use in your business? Here are some tips:
Try HL7 for data standardization. You can use HL7 when you need to improve the quality of your patient's data. Simply put, if the original information isn't accurate or complete, there's no point in using an API. While HL7 is less efficient than API, it's a tried-and-true standard that's in use in many legacy systems.
In most cases, APIs are free, open-source tools that can be used to build custom applications around a specific company's workflow. If you need a tool for commercial purposes, an API is probably a better option than HL7. If there are people outside of your organization that will be accessing the data you're using, APIs are more flexible for exchanging this data between different applications.
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