Introduction
The FHIR service in Microsoft Azure Health Data Services allows for rapid exchange of health data by using the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR®) data standard. As part of a managed platform as a service (PaaS), the FHIR service helps make it easier for healthcare professionals to more securely store and exchange Protected Health Information (PHI) in the cloud.
The FHIR standard gives the healthcare industry a robust, extensible data model. This data model includes standardized semantics and exchange protocols that allow all systems that use FHIR to work together.
By transforming health data to FHIR, organizations can unify disparate electronic health record systems (EHRs) and other health data repositories, allowing them to persist and exchange all data in a single, universal format. The FHIR service offers connection with any health data system or application that's capable of sending FHIR API requests. Along with other parts of the Microsoft Azure ecosystem, the FHIR service forms a link between electronic health records systems (EHRs) and Azure's suite of data analytics and machine learning tools. As a result, organizations can build patient and provider applications that harness the full power of the Microsoft cloud.