F.16 Interfacing and interoperability standards

Question 1

What is interoperability according to ADHA?

Answer 1

Interoperability enables consistent information sharing between people, organisations, and systems.

ADHA, 2017

Question 2

How does HIMSS define interoperability?

Answer 2

The ability of different information systems, devices and applications to access, exchange, integrate and cooperatively use data in a coordinated manner.

HIMSS, n.d.

Question 3

What is the IEEE’s definition of interoperability?

Answer 3

The ability of a system or a product to work with other systems or products without special effort on the part of the customer.

IEEE, 2016

Question 4

What are the HIMSS Four-level model levels of interoperability?

Answer 4

Level 0: No interoperability exists.
Level 1: Foundational interoperability.
Level 2: Structural interoperability.
Level 3: Semantic interoperability.
Level 4: Organisational interoperability.

HIMSS, n.d.

Question 5

What is Level 1 in the Levels of Conceptual Interoperability Model (LCIM)?

Answer 5

Technical interoperability. A communication protocol exists for the exchange of information.

IEEE, 2017

Question 6

What does Level 2 represent in the HIMSS model?

Answer 6

Structural interoperability. Defines the format, syntax and organisation of data exchange.

HIMSS, n.d.

Question 7

Define semantic interoperability as per HIMSS.

Answer 7

Provides for standard underlying models and codification of the data, ensuring shared understanding.

HIMSS, n.d.

Question 8

What is organisational interoperability?

Answer 8

Includes governance, policy, social, legal, and organisational considerations to facilitate secure communication of data.

HIMSS, n.d.

Question 9

Fill in the blank: An interface is the place at which independent and often unrelated systems ______.

Answer 9

meet and act on or communicate with each other.

Merriam-Webster, n.d.

Question 10

What is an application programming interface (API)?

Answer 10

A set of defined rules that explain how computers or applications communicate with one another.

IBM, 2020

Question 11

What does the National Digital Health Strategy prioritize?

Answer 11

1. Health information is available whenever and wherever needed.
2. High-quality data with commonly understood meaning.
3. Health information that can be exchanged securely.

ADHA, n.d.

Question 12

What is the desired state of health system interoperability?

Answer 12

Capacity for authorized parties to securely discover and obtain health data, to use it safely, and to conduct necessary transactions.

ADHA, 2017

Question 13

True or False: Interoperability is not possible without implementing standards.

Answer 13

True.

IEEE, 2016

Question 14

What does the OSI model consist of?

Answer 14

7 layers: application, presentation, session, transport, network, data link, and physical.

ISO and IEC

Question 15

What is the function of the transport layer in the OSI model?

Answer 15

Ensures messages are delivered error-free, in sequence, and without losses or duplications.

Microsoft, 2014

Question 16

What are data content standards?

Answer 16

Standards describing which data are required for various use cases, their associated metadata, and their relationships.

Standards definition context

Question 17

Fill in the blank: Standardisation is the processes via which specified domains achieve a targeted level of consistent implementation of ______.

Answer 17

specific standards.

Rowlands, 2020-2

Question 18

What is the fourth theme in New Zealand’s health interoperability roadmap?

Answer 18

Pragmatic interoperability. A shared understanding exists of the context under which the information was used or produced.

New Zealand Government, 2020

Question 19

What are the sub-domains of interoperability standards?

Answer 19

• Data content standards
• Concept representation standards
• Data exchange standards
• Communication standards

Standardisation details

Question 20

What does industry-level standardisation relate to in the OSI model?

Answer 20

Level 7 – the applications layer

The OSI model provides a conceptual framework for understanding network protocols.

Question 21

What are the four sub-domains of standards required for interoperability?

Answer 21

• Data content standards
• Concept representation standards
• Data exchange standards
• Data integrity standards

Question 22

What do data content standards describe?

Answer 22

Which data are required for various use cases, their associated metadata, and their relationships.

Question 23

What is the purpose of concept representation standards?

Answer 23

To describe how content will be expressed in ways unambiguously understood by disparate parties.

Question 24

What do data exchange standards define?

Answer 24

The data structures and formats via which data can be accessed within an information system.

Question 25

What do data integrity standards focus on?

Answer 25

Rules that implement privacy, security, and identity management.

Question 26

Who is a major supplier of Australian data content standards?

Answer 26

AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare)

Question 27

What is METEOR?

Answer 27

AIHW's Metadata Online Registry for national health data and information standards.

Question 28

What is the primary purpose of AIHW’s data standards?

Answer 28

Generation of statistical data.

Question 29

What does ADHA stand for?

Answer 29

Australian Digital Health Agency

Question 30

What is openEHR?

Answer 30

A technology for e-health consisting of open specifications, clinical models, and software.

Question 31

What role does GS1 play in health informatics?

Answer 31

Developing standards-based solutions for data exchange challenges.

Question 32

What does NCTS stand for?

Answer 32

National Clinical Terminologies Service

Question 33

What does SNOMED CT stand for?

Answer 33

Systematised Nomenclature of Medicine – Clinical Terms

Question 34

What is the Australian Medicines Terminology (AMT) used for?

Answer 34

Standardised identification of brand and equivalent generic medicines.

Question 35

What are LOINC codes used to represent?

Answer 35

Requests for observations in clinical settings.

Question 36

What are the six dimensions distinguished by LOINC codes?

Answer 36

* Component * Property * Time * System * Scale * Method

Question 37

What does ICD-10-AM stand for?

Answer 37

International Statistical Classification of Diseases, 10th revision – Australian version.

Question 38

What is the main focus of HL7?

Answer 38

Providing standards for the exchange, integration, sharing, and retrieval of electronic health information.

Question 39

What does FHIR stand for?

Answer 39

Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources

Question 40

What are the two main parts of FHIR?

Answer 40

* A content model in the form of 'resources' * A specification for the exchange of these resources

Question 41

What challenge does FHIR address in healthcare standards?

Answer 41

Handling variability caused by diverse healthcare processes.

Question 42

What is HL7's Version 2x (V2) messaging standard known for?

Answer 42

Being the most widely implemented standard for healthcare electronic data exchange.

Question 43

What is the latest version of HL7 V2?

Answer 43

2.9, published in 2019.

Question 44

True or False: HL7 V2 standards are backward compatible.

Answer 44

True

Question 45

Fill in the blank: The primary supplier of data exchange standards supporting health interoperability is ____.

Answer 45

HL7

Question 46

What is the main purpose of HL7 V2?

Answer 46

To provide substantial flexibility in message construction for health informatics.

Question 47

What is a potential weakness of HL7 V2 in cross-organisational contexts?

Answer 47

Different organisations can implement HL7 V2 messaging quite differently.

Question 48

What does HL7 Version 3 (V3) provide?

Answer 48

A suite of specifications based on HL7’s Reference Information Model (RIM).

Question 49

What methodology does V3 use for message construction?

Answer 49

A model-driven methodology that produces messages and electronic documents expressed in XML syntax.

Question 50

What are the two key components of the ADHA's Secure Messaging Program?

Answer 50

* Introducing a federated provider directory capability * Enhancement of the message exchange format

Question 51

What is the main goal of IHE (Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise)?

Answer 51

To improve the way computer systems in healthcare share information.

Question 52

True or False: IHE is a standard.

Answer 52

False.

Question 53

What does IHE provide to promote the adoption of standards-based interoperability?

Answer 53

A detailed implementation and testing process.

Question 54

What is the Connectathon?

Answer 54

A weeklong interoperability-testing event.

Question 55

What does ISO 17090 concern?

Answer 55

Public key infrastructure and validating entity credentials in healthcare.

Question 56

What is the focus of ISO 25237?

Answer 56

Principles and requirements for privacy protection using pseudonymisation services.

Question 57

What guidelines does ISO 27799 provide?

Answer 57

Guidelines for organisational information security standards and practices.

Question 58

Fill in the blank: ISO 21090 provides a set of datatype definitions for _______.

Answer 58

[representing and exchanging basic concepts commonly encountered in health care information exchange]

Question 59

What are the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs)?

Answer 59

Principles-based law regarding privacy protection in Australia.

Question 60

What does the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) oversee?

Answer 60

The Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

Question 61

What is the relationship between Standards Australia and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)?

Answer 61

Standards Australia provides a conduit to the ISO.

Question 62

What is the importance of the IHE process?

Answer 62

Defines specific implementations of established standards to achieve integration goals.

Question 63

What are state and territory privacy principles in relation to the APPs?

Answer 63

Similar but not necessarily identical to the Australian Privacy Principles.