iEHR, VLER, and The ESB
Joe Paiva
Paul Tibbits, MD
Dec 2011
V3
Agenda
• iEHR
• VLER (ESB; Data Access)
• Common Information Interoperability
Framework
• XML
• Management: Service Aware Integration
Framework
11/25/2011
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iEHR Vision
DoD and VA are committed to full and seamless
electronic exchange and record portability of
healthcare information in secure and private
format, wherever needed, to ensure highest
quality and effective delivery of healthcare
services.
DoD-VA Integrated EHR Way Forward Update for DEPSECDEF,
DEPSECVA and VCJCS” briefing, 12 February 2011.
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Achieving The Vision
Common
Information
Interoperability
Framework
(CIIF)
Crafting
Usability
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Achieving the Vision
Presentation Layer
Implementation at
North Chicago to be
complete Q1 FY12
OSEHRA in place
ESB Purchase
decision in
progress
Notional
architecture for joint
operations
completed
Work continues on
Common Information
Model
CIO Conference: iEHR, VLER, ESB v3
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Crafting iEHR Usability
• iEHR usability will be achieved by designing system so that users’
interactions are simple and efficient while allowing them to
accomplishing their goals
– Enable clinician to view single integrated medical record
– Unify what providers, employees and patients see
– Eliminate need for provider to search and find data within disparate
legacy systems
– Minimize number of clicks
– Design with mobile devices in mind
• Future iEHR Presentation Layer will be integrated and interactive,
allowing clinicians to think and discover
– Show relationships among data graphically
– Allow users to act on data and explore ideas through dynamic
coordinated displays
• Infrastructure, capability planning and continuity of operations
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VLER Goal: Proactive Service Delivery
Empowered Veterans
Federal
State &
Local
Empowered Veterans &
Servicemembers
With Access & Control
Oath to Final Benefit
DoD
Benefits
eBenefits
VA
Benefits
DoD
Personnel
DoD
Health
Private
Partners
iEHR
VA
Health
VLER better enables VA and its partners to proactively provide full
continuum of services and benefits Veterans have earned
via Veteran-centric processes made possible by effective and efficient
standards-based information sharing
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Mission
VLER is multifaceted business and technology initiative that
includes portfolio of health, benefits, personnel, and
administrative information sharing capabilities
Its mission is to enable VA and its partners to proactively provide
full continuum of services and benefits to Veterans through
Veteran-centric processes and effective, efficient, standards-based
information sharing
VLER Priorities
Empower Veterans
Eliminate Barriers to Information Sharing
Exploit Information Sharing to Realize VLER
Who Is The VLER Community?
Inside the DoD & VA
Private Health Care Providers
MHS
OSD
P&R
State organizations
Education
Institutions
VHA
NCA
VBA
VLER “will ultimately
contain administrative and
medical information from
the day an individual
enters military service
throughout their military
career and after they leave
the military.”
Lending
Institutions
External to the DoD and VA
-President Barack Obama
11/25/2011
CIO Conference: iEHR, VLER, ESB v3
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Enterprise Architecture View of VLER
Veteran
Benefits
Domain
Health
Domain
Cemetery
Domain
VRM
Benefits
and
Services
business
processes
Memorials
Burials
Insurance
VBMS
Loan Guaranty
VR&E
Education
Pension
Compensation
Homelessness
New Models
Access
Mental Health
R&D
HI
Veteran Servicing Systems
Health
VLER integrates
Veteran Servicing
Systems
With the support
of
VA Operations
and Systems
GI Bill
Data About Veterans
System of Veteran Servicing Systems
= VLER
VLER
Data About VA Operations
HCIP
Prep
Cyber Security
& Privacy
IT Management
Material
Management
Human
Resources
Management
Corporate
Management
Financial
Management
SCIP
STDP
HCE
VA
operations business
processes
IOM
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CIO Conference: iEHR, VLER, ESB v3
VA Operational Systems 11
Technical Vision: EHR Service Platform (ESP)
INTEGRATED EHR SOLUTION
EHR SERVICES PLATFORM (ESP)
Population
Health
Data &
Services
Population
Health
Data &
Services
EHR
Data &
Services
Registries
Data &
Services
EHR IS
Locator
Information Access & Longitudinal Record Services (LRS)
EHR Information Services (EHR IS)
Point of Service
Applications
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Personal Health
Record Systems
EHR Viewers
CIO Conference: iEHR, VLER, ESB v3
See notes page
Key Concepts: Federated EHR Services Architecture
EHR IS
Enabled
Legacy System
INTEGRATED EHR SOLUTION
EHR IS
EHR SERVICES PLATFORM (ESP)
Tier 3
Plug-&-Play
Data Stores
Population
Health
Data &
Services
Population
Health
Data &
Services
EHR IS
Enabled
PHR System
EHR
Data &
Services
Registries
Data &
Services
EHR IS
Locator
ESP Based
System
EAI IP
Tier 2
EHR
Information
Services
Tier 1
Plug-&-Play
Applications
Data Access
Virtualization Layer
Information Access & Longitudinal Record Services (LRS)
EHR Information Services (EHR IS)
EHR IP
EHR IP
EHR IP
Point of Service
Applications
Personal Health
Record Systems
EHR Viewers
Application
Virtualization Layer
IP is SOA Interoperability Profile aka Service Interface
EAI is Enterprise Application Integration
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See notes page
Legacy Transition Strategy
INTEGRATED EHR SOLUTION
LEGACY EHR SYSTEM
EHR SERVICES PLATFORM (ESP)
EHR-IS ENABLED LEGACY INFRASTRUCTURE
Population
Health
Data &
Services
Data
Warehouse
Data &
Services
EHR
Data &
Services
Registries
Data &
Services
Data
Warehouse
Data &
Services
Legacy
Point of Service
Application
EHR
Data &
Services
Personal Health
Record System
Legacy
EAI IP
EHR-IS
EAI IP
Information Access & Longitudinal Record Services (LRS)
Information Access & Longitudinal Record Services (LRS)
EAI IP
Bi-Directional
Information
Exchange
EHR Information Services (EHR IS)
EHR IP
Point of Service
Application
EHR IP
Personal Health
Record Systems
EHR Information Services (EHR IS)
EHR IP
EHR Viewer
EAI is Enterprise Application Integration
IP is SOA Interoperability Profile aka Service Interface
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EHR-IS
EHR-IS enabled legacy systems allow users to
transition at a convenient time and then legacy
systems can be shut down.
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EHR Information Services (EHR IS)
Within EHR Services Platform (ESP)
EHR SERVICES PLATFORM (ESP)
ORGANISATIONAL INFOSTRUCTURE
Population Health Data
& Services
Registries Data
& Services
Client
Registry
Outbreak
Management
EHR Data
& Services
PHS
Reporting
Shared
Health Record
Drug
Information
Data Warehouse
& Services
Diagnostic
Imaging
Health
Information
Laboratory
Provider
Registry
Location
Registry
Business
Rules
EHR
Index
Terminology
Registry
Message
Structures
Normalization
Rules
Information Access & Longitudinal Record Services (LRS)
IP is SOA Interoperability Profile aka Service Interface
EAI IP
Security Mgmt
Rules/Data
Privacy Mgmt
Rules/Data
EAI is Enterprise Application Integration
Common Information Interoperability Framework (CIIF) and Common Services
EHR IS
Configuration
Rules/Data
EAI IP
Secure Communications Bus
EHR IP
Public Health
Services
Public Health
Provider
EHR IP
EHR IP
Pharmacy
System
Radiology
Center
PACS/RIS
Pharmacist
Radiologist
EHR IP
Lab System
(LIS)
EHR IP
EHR IP
Hospital, LTC,
CCC, EPR
Lab Clinician
Physician/
Provider
EHR IP
Physician
Office EMR
Physician/
Provider
EHR Viewer
Physician/
Provider
POINT OF SERVICE APPLICATIONS
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See notes page
HL7 Service Aware Interoperability Framework (SAIF)
Enterprise Compliance and Conformance Framework (ECCF)
ECCF
Conceptual
Perspective
Logical
Perspective
Implementable
Perspective
Enterprise
Dimension
Information
Dimension
Computational
Dimension
“How” - Behavior
“Where” - Implementation
“Where” - Deployments
 Inventory of
• Domain Entities
• Activities
• Associations
• Information
Requirements
• Information Models
o Conceptual
o Domain
 Inventory of
• Functions-services
 Requirements
• Accountability, Roles
• Functional
Requirements, Profiles,
Behaviors, Interactions
• Interfaces, Contracts
 Inventory of
• SW Platforms, Layers
• SW Environments
• SW Components
• SW Services
• Technical
Requirements
• Enterprise Service Bus
 Key Performance
Parameters
 Inventory of
• HW Platforms
• HW Environments
• Network Devices
• Communication
Devices
 Technical Requirements
 Business Policies
 Governance
 Implementation Guides
 Design Constraints
 Organization Contracts
 Information Models
 Terminologies
 Value Sets
 Content Specifications
 Specifications
• Use Cases, Interactions
• Components, Interfaces
 Collaboration
Participations
 Collaboration Types &
Roles
 Function Types
 Interface Types
 Service Contracts
 Models, Capabilities,
Features and Versions for
• SW Environments
• SW Capabilities
• SW Libraries
• SW Services
• SW Transports
 Models, Capabilities,
Features and Versions for
• HW Platforms
• HW Environments
• Network Devices
• Communication
Devices
 Business Nodes
 Business Rules
 Business Procedures
 Business Workflows
 Technology Specific
Standards
 Schemas for
• Databases
• Messages
• Documents
• Services
• Transformations
 Automation Units
 Technical Interfaces
 Technical Operations
 Orchestration Scripts
 SW Specifications for
• Applications
• GUIs
• Components
 SW Deployment
Topologies
 HW Deployment
Specifications
 HW Execution Context
 HW Application Bindings
 HW Deployment Topology
 HW Platform Bindings
“Why” - Policy
 Inventory of
• User Cases, Contracts
• Capabilities
 Business Mission, Vision,
Scope
“What” - Content
Engineering
Dimension
Technical
Dimension
Five (5) Categories: Capability | Mission | Business Process | Infrastructure/Enterprise Architecture | Interoperability
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Open Source Principles: iEHR
• VA will use OSEHRA EHR product as its EHR
• All VA SW development will be focused on OSEHRA
product
– VA staff will contribute code, on frequent release schedule,
using VA Contribution Agreement
– VA employees and contractors may choose to contribute code
on their own time and do so using Individual Contribution
Agreement
• VA will establish a governance process with OSEHRA to
determine what parts of contributed software constitute
“gold” release
• VA will develop a test/release process to accept OSEHRA
product into VA production environment
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Open Source Approach
• iEHR software development will be focused on Open Source
Electronic Health Record Agent (OSEHRA) product with
contributions from open source community
• iEHR will implement governance process with OSEHRA to determine
what parts of contributed software constitute “gold” release
• iEHR team will develop processes to integrate OSEHRA products
into iEHR operational environment
Http://www.OSEHRA.org
Open Source approach will encourage innovation, flexibility,
interoperability, and discipline
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ERH Services Platform (ESP) enabled system (conceptual view)
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See notes page
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What Is Common Information Interoperability
Framework?
From CIIF Working Group Presentation
10/7/11
Common SAIF
Instantiation
Common
Service
Model
Common
Information
Interoperability
Framework
(CIIF)
Common
Terminology
Model
Information
Interoperability
Common
Information Model
The CIIF enables real-time semantic harmonization
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CIIF Goals
• Enable open source medical record development
community by developing common health services
framework and standards in open source environment
• Enable interoperability across healthcare enterprise,
including VA, DoD, providers and patients
• Enable new capabilities to be constructed more quickly with
less risk, higher quality, and improved data access
• Facilitate rapid integration of new capabilities through use
of common data models and standards, all in open source
environment
• Apply standard interfaces and protocols for iEHR data,
network, and systems access
Enable interoperability among trading partners while allowing
opportunity and time to modernize their own legacy systems
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From iEHR Data Layer Engineering Lockdown June 29. 2011
CIIF Concept
Common Information
Interoperability Framework
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CIIF Approach
• Ensure harmonization of healthcare data across enterprise
–
–
–
–
–
Build common vocabulary
Build conceptual models
Make data available through common services on ESB
Mediate connection with NwHIN
Transform data at system boundary (in motion)
• Support data center consolidation
–
–
–
–
–
Co-location vs. virtualization
Support iEHR capability releases
Employ pilots to explore viability of interoperability solutions
Demonstrate interoperability solutions in pilots
Apply models and lessons learned on pilots to drive
requirements and service specifications across enterprise
– Apply common guidance and standards across enterprise
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CIIF In Context
Tier 1
Front End Systems
Presentation/Business Rules
Applications/Business Services
Virtualization Layer of Federated
Standards-Based Services
Tier 2 EHR IS C/ESB Broker
External
Gateway
Service
Registry
Security
Controls
Metadata
Services
Dynamic
Translation
Services
Common
Services
Secure
Standards-Based
Information Exchanges
Performance
Caches
Virtualization Layer of Federated
Standards-Based Services
Tier 3
Back End Systems
Common Data
Federated/Virtual Data
Legacy Data
Data
Services
Data
Caches
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Data
MDR
Stores
CIIF Design-Time
Workbench of Model Driven
Health Tools (MDHTs)
Metadata
Services
MDR
Information
Model
Terminology
Model
Information
Exchange
Specs
Translation
Model
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Health Data Standards Overview
NwHIN
Clinical
Vocabularies(E
x:RxNorm,
LOINC)
Clinical
Document
Standards(Ex:
HTML, XML,
GIF)
Computer
System
Health
Message
Standards(Ex
:HL7 RIM)
CIIF
Data
Repository
Data in Motion
Health
Security
Standards(Ex:
TLS, PKI)
Transport
Standards(Ex:
FTP, SMTP)
Computer
System
Data
Repository
•
Health Data standards support interoperability across heterogeneous systems
•
Health data standards are an essential part of the iEHR target architecture, transition strategy,
and data migration
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ESB v3
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Data Strategy Considerations
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Data access and interoperability
Data mediation, transformation and integration
Metadata approach
Security and privacy
Performance and measurement
Meaningful Use
Quality
Continuity of Operations (COOP)
Infrastructure
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Development Concept
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How Is Metadata Managed In CIIF?
• Use model-based XML tagging
• CIIF data transformation rules based on
information models and terminologies
from NwHIN standards, extended as
necessary to support comprehensive
health care delivery
• All NwHIN trading partners will use
NwHIN standards for information
interoperability
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Have Data Quality Metrics Been Established?
• Meaningful Use
• XML tags will set constraints of allowable
values to enforce data quality at point of data
– Transport when connecting to CIIF
• Through NwHIN
• Through direct connection
– Creation when standard data model and
terminologies are instantiated natively in new
data stores going forward
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iEHR, VLER, ESB v3
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How Does CIIF Handle Data
Integration? Or Is It ESB?
• CIIF = runtime data access service for
semantic mediation of data in motion
• CIIF instantiated as runtime service on
DoD-VA ESB
• VLER program acquires/delivers ESB
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Does CIIF Facilitate Federated Queries?
• Yes
• CIIF enables clinically-relevant information
interoperability and clinical decision support by
preserving semantic intent among data creators
(and senders) and data readers (and recipients)
• CIIF does not address or require harmonization
of disparate business processes
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How Does CIIF Promote Data Virtualization?
• CIIF enables exchange of data with semantic coherence
irrespective of native storage format
• CIIF transforms existing and future data stores into virtual
(logical) record on the fly
• DoD-VA
– Both agencies will move to (logically) single record storage
capability going forward
• NwHIN
– Each trading partner exercises judgment to store or not store
views created on the fly using data from another trading partner
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When Will CIIF Terminology Models Be
Developed?
• CIIF terminology
– Model will be entirely based on national
standards
– Development will be limited to extensions of
NwHIN standards in only those instances where
national standards are not sufficiently robust for
clinical health care delivery
– Development (extensions) will start in FY12
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Will DoD/VA VLER Be Interoperable With
Civilian Networks Used By TRICARE And VA?
• Yes
• VLER (and iEHR and CIIF) will be
interoperable with all trading partners who
connect to the NwHIN
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What System Engineering Standard Will Be Used To Develop
Interface Requirements Specification & Interface Design
Document For CIIF?
HHS/HITSP specified RESTful or SOAP-based web services calls supported
by web service security standards. Payloads are XML-based and conform to
HL7 and NIEM content and styles.
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iEHR, VLER, ESB v3
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XML Key Points
• Set of standard XML schemas for information to
be exchanged and consumed within VLER
community has repercussions throughout DoD
and VA
• Business community leads in:
– Determining what XML schemas are needed
– Defining needed information content within each XML
schema
• Technical community leads in:
– Establishing uniform XML schema style for all XML
schemas
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XML Schemas: Need for Enterprise
Approach
• Programmable web has been driven by HTTP, HTML and XML
• As VA modernizes, XML will form basis for sharing structured, tagged
data, between computational entities
– Veteran-centric vision requires more structured data to meet computational
needs
– Increased interoperability demands require consistency in structured data
• XML schemas (i.e. XSDs) is technology that allows elements, attributes,
data types, and syntax in XML payloads to be validated
• Eventually there will be hundreds of XML schemas within VA and DoD
• Left uncoordinated, project teams will develop schemas that might
meet point-to-point needs but will make large-scale interoperability
impossible
• Coordinated XML schema development concept, and plan to achieve it
is needed
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XML Schemas: Value Proposition
• A common XML Schema style and standards:
– Provides improved cohesion and interoperability
– Reduces the number of “point-to-point” negotiations
– Makes XML schema development by (or for) multiple development teams
possible
– Alternative is chaotic and ad hoc development
• An identified and baselined set of XML schemas that constitute the
Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record provides a framework for:
–
–
–
–
An improved vision for VLER
VA-wide development to better connect with the VLER major initiative
Assigning XML schema development responsibilities
Developing schedules and monitoring progress
• A clear enterprise-wide method of developing and governing XML
schemas:
– Makes clear the role of project teams and supporting organizations
– Provides the least costly and fasted approach to achieving wide scale
adoption of a cohesive set of implementable XML schemas
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Ongoing XML Schema Activities
• XML Schema Lockdown
– Held Oct 4-6, 2011 at Washington, DC
– Focus: (1) Needed XML schemas and a structure for organizing them; (2) XML Schema
Style; (3) Enterprise-wide XML schema development approach; and (4) Go forward plan
• XML Schema Working IPT (WIPT)
– Created to better prepare for XML Schema Lockdown
– Composed of personnel from (1) VBA, VHA, NCA, and (2) business and technical
• VLER Data Access Service (DAS)
– Will provide consumers of VLER common mechanism for discovering and accessing
documents and representations within any person’s VLER
• Vision is for these documents and representations to be structured data of a common style
– Aggregates content from multiple producers of similar data into standard sets of web
feed collections
– Under development as part of VLER MI portfolio
– DoD is engaged via Information Sharing Initiative (ISI)
• HAIG
– NIEM has been positioned to members of HAIG (VA and DoD) as standard for developing
VLER-related XML schemas
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CIO Conference: iEHR, VLER, ESB v3
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XML Schema Basics
• What is XML?
– XML stands for Extensible Markup Language
– XML is a markup language like HTML, but does not replace HTML
• XML tags are not predefined – one must define one’s own tags or use an existing
set
• XML was designed to structure, describe, and carry data, not to display data
• XML Technologies
– Schema: Describes the structure of an XML document and defines the
building blocks
– XPATH: Extensible Path Language (XPATH) is used to extract data from
an XML file
– XQUERY: Used to perform query functions on XML data, similar to SQL
for databases
– XSLT: Extensible style sheet language transformations (XSLT) is a styling
language that can transform XML to another file type (including HTML,
PDF, MS Word, etc)
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XML Schema Basics (cont’d)
• What is XML Schema?
– An XML Schema describes the structure of an XML document
– Also referred to as an XML Schema Document (XSD)
– Describes the valid format of a an XML data-set
•
•
•
•
What elements are and are not allowed at any point
What the attributes of an element may be
What type of data is allowed
The number of occurrences of elements, etc
• What is the relationship of an XML Schema and an XML document?
– An XML document usually specifies its associated schema
– An XML document with this association must follow the structure
defined in the schema
– The XML document is an instance of the schema
– Can validate XML documents as compliant with the XML schema
during test and run time
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XML Schema Basics (cont’d)
• What’s the benefits of having a schema?
– Schemas allow us to better define, restrict, and
convert specific data types
– Schemas allow us to validate our data and ensure that
it conforms to the schema specifications
– Schemas encourage standardization
– Schemas can be reused
– Multiple schemas can be referenced in a single XML
document
– Schemas are easily customizable and written in XML
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Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record
Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record
can be expressed as hierarchy of
collections that leverage web
technologies
Health
• Health Services
oBehavioral Health
oPrimary Care
oExtended Care
oLaboratory
oRadiology
oRehabilitation
oSpecialty Health
oDental
oPharmacy
oNutrition and Food
• Clinical Documentation
• Research Studies
• Health Admin Info
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A Consuming Community
Person Identity
Benefits
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
“A place for everything,
everything in its place.”
Personnel
Pension
Compensation
Education
Home Loan
Insurance
Vocational Rehab and
Employment
Special Adaptive Housing
Vehicle Modifications
Eligibility
Payments
Integrated Care
Cemetery
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Person Demographics
Service History
Dependents
Epidemiological
Occupations
Financial Profile
Military Disability
Education Profile
Life Event History
CIO Conference: iEHR, VLER, ESB v3
–
Benjamin Franklin
Admin
• Audits
• Encounter Log
• Life Event Docs
oPower Of Attorney
oBirth Certificates
oOther Insurance
oEtc
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What’s In VLER Collection?
• Collections contain a specific viewpoint into a veteran’s or service
member’s lifetime electronic record
– Similar to pre-defined queries
– Data within a particular collection may be included in another
collection as well (because it’s pertinent to the viewpoint); however,
all data is to be “fresh” when made available to a Consumer
• Each collection should serve particular business needs
• Collection Example
– https://vler.va.gov/das/v1/vaOID/ICN/health/clinicalAssessments/con
ditions
– Where:
• Consumer Community = https://vler.va.gov/das/v1
• Person ID = aOID/ICN
• Collection Path = health/clinicalAssessments/conditions
– Containing all reported Conditions (i.e. Problem List) of a
veteran/service member
• Each entry is a structured XML representation, One XML schema per collection
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Collection Hierarchy Considerations
• Robust, stable collection hierarchy is needed
– Hierarchy is business driven
– Technology solution must have an ability to institute
some changes over time
• Baseline collection hierarchy now provides:
– Improved vision for VLER
– Baseline for VA-wide development to connect with
the VLER major initiative
– Framework to assign XML schema development
– Framework to develop schedules and major progress
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XML Schema Style Considerations
• A DoD+VA-wide XML schema style is needed
– Improved cohesion and interoperability
– Makes XML schema development by (or for) multiple development
teams possible
– Alternative is chaotic and ad hoc development
• A baseline set of XML schema style standards must:
– Span Health, Benefits, Memorial, and Personnel needs
– Support “concrete” schemas: remove ambiguity of interpretation
– Address
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Naming and design conventions
Packaging
Integration of code sets
Reuse of global elements and complex types
Use of subsets
Distribution
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What Is NIEM?
• A National Standard that facilitates information
sharing:
– Across organizational and jurisdictional boundaries
– At all levels of government
• A Data Model providing:
– Agreed-upon terms, definitions, and formats for various
business concepts
– Agreed-upon rules for how those concepts fit together
– Independence from how information is stored in individual
agency systems
• A Structured Approach for:
– Development tools, processes, and methodologies
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What NIEM Is Not…
• Database schema
• Just data dictionary
• Only applicable to Federal government
– Includes many other communities at all levels of
government
• Programming language
• Replacement for interagency agreements
– NIEM is technical solution, but policy and business
issues must also be worked out
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Key NIEM Definitions
• Domain
– For purposes of NIEM, a domain refers to a business enterprise broadly
reflecting the agencies, units of government, operational functions, services,
and information systems which are more or less organized or affiliated to
meet common objectives.
• Community of Interest
– Communities of interest (COIs) are collectives of people (e.g., committees,
working groups or technical subcommittees) who authoritatively represent
their respective domains. Generally COIs are formally constituted through an
organizational charter, memoranda of understanding (MOU), articles of
incorporation, or the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA)
– A COI may have an interest in one or more domains, because domains can
overlap. COIs can reuse data components and IEPDs from any domain and can
offer content into various domains. Additionally, multiple COIs can coordinate
to develop new domain content.
• IEPD (MPD)
– An IEPD (MPD), or Information Exchange Package Documentation (or Message
Package Documentation), is a specification for a data exchange and defines a
particular data exchange.
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NIEM from 50,000 feet
NIEM Core
All NIEM Domains leverage NIEM-core
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Participating Communities
• Communities continue to expand
• NIEM 2.1 has 10 domains
• Domains 11-13 actively under development, including Human Services
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Why Would NIEM Be Extended?
• NIEM is large model but does not describe everything
– NIEM asks that if you use one of their elements, that it be used
in exact context
– If proper definition does not exist in NIEM, create new
extension!
• Allows design of customized documents that include NIEM
and elements in schema that will validate against NIEM
standard
• Promotes valuable re-use of extension components from
others
– It’s how all new NIEM domains originate
• Extensions are foundational to NIEM and acknowledge
need for local flexibility
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NIEM Value Proposition within VA and DoD
• NIEM offers VA and DoD proven, scalable methods for creating and
managing XML Schemas for Information Exchanges
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Can scale to VA and DoD enterprise level
Can support distributed development of schemas
Integrates code sets with the XML schemas
Has a robust tool set
Has an active development community
• NIEM extension concepts allow VA and DoD to meet their business
needs for Health, Benefits, Memorials, and Personnel
• “Concrete” XML schema style of NIEM positions it well for
developing translations to the multitude of messaging standards
needed at the VA-DoD boundary
• NIEM is well enough formulated that it offers least costly and
fastest approach to achieving wide scale adoption of cohesive set of
implementable XML schemas
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Considerations
Enterprise–wide XML Schema Development Practices
• Practical methods are needed to teach, produce, distribute,
adopt, and govern the development of XML schemas across
the VA enterprise
– Cost-effective
– Consistency
– Faster adoption
• Baseline development practices must:
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Be easy to communicate and learn
Support a broad audience of developers
Support distributed development
Support a centralized distribution and governance infrastructure
Be practical with existing tool sets
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Basic Process
Developing VA XML Schemas using NIEM
• Identify Need for an Information Exchange
• Determine needed information content
• Assess what of NIEM and VA developed extensions libraries is
applicable and reusable
– Know what will be reused in “subsets”
– Know what new extensions need to be added to the VA developed
extension library
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Develop new VA extensions
Create package framework for information exchange
Create XML schema subsets for use in information exchange
Create exchange XML schema
Document information exchange and validate XML schema
standards conformance
• Distribute new XML schemas
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