FHIR service
EHR integration connects your product or organization to an electronic health record so data and workflow can move in both directions. Unlike a pure FHIR project, it frequently combines FHIR APIs with HL7 v2 messaging, document exchange and vendor-specific APIs, and much of the effort goes into working through each EHR vendor's programs and each health system's approval process.
Choosing the method is driven by what the EHR supports for your use case, not by which is newest. A capable partner will mix methods as needed; our HL7 vs FHIR guide compares them in detail.
| Method | Strengths | Typical uses |
|---|---|---|
| FHIR R4 APIs (US Core) | Standard, query on demand, SMART authorization | Chart reads, patient apps, data aggregation |
| HL7 v2 messages | Real-time event feeds, ubiquitous in hospitals | ADT, orders (ORM/OML), results (ORU), scheduling (SIU) |
| C-CDA documents | Complete clinical summaries | Transitions of care, record requests |
| Vendor proprietary APIs | Functionality not yet exposed via FHIR | Specific write-back and workflow actions |
| Flat files / SFTP | Simple batch transfer | Claims, rosters, legacy analytics feeds |
Every major EHR offers certified FHIR APIs, but developer programs, write capabilities and onboarding processes differ. Our platform pages cover the specifics for Epic, Oracle Health (Cerner), athenahealth, MEDITECH, Allscripts / Altera and eClinicalWorks.
Two structural differences shape every plan. First, enterprise hospital EHRs are usually deployed per health system, so access is granted customer by customer; cloud-based ambulatory EHRs may offer a single multi-tenant API where practices authorize access. Second, the health system's own analysts often need to build or configure something (an interface, a workflow button, a security role) for your integration to work, and their queue determines your timeline.
Plan for site two
The first site proves the integration works. The second proves it is repeatable. Ask partners how much of the first site's work is reusable and what per-site effort remains.
Compare candidates in our EHR integration vendors directory, then ask:
Buyers usually choose between a custom build by a development partner, an integration platform charged by subscription or connection, or a hybrid. Cost drivers include the number of EHR platforms and sites, the number of interfaces per site, bi-directionality, EHR vendor program fees, and the per-site onboarding effort. Ongoing costs come from interface monitoring, EHR upgrades and new site activations; see FHIR support and maintenance for what that covers, and the cost guide for illustrative planning ranges.
In practice the terms are used interchangeably. EMR traditionally referred to a single practice's digital chart and EHR to a record shared across organizations, but vendors and buyers now use both for the same systems.
Often both. You may need to register with the EHR vendor's developer program, and the health system typically has to approve and enable access to its own instance. Patient-authorized access to certified APIs follows different rules than provider-facing integrations.
For many read use cases, yes. Real-time event notification, some write-back operations and certain workflows may still require HL7 v2 or vendor APIs, depending on the platform.
Build effort is only part of it. Developer program approval, security review and health system scheduling often dominate. Ask partners for timelines broken into build time and dependency time.
Platforms can shorten time to first connection and spread maintenance across many customers, at the cost of subscription fees and dependency on the platform's coverage. Custom builds give control and can be cheaper at scale if you have the team to maintain them.
Vendors in our directory that state they offer this service. Not a ranking · affiliated company shown first and labelled · others alphabetical.
Development PartnerAffiliated with site owner
US-based healthcare software development company offering HL7 FHIR integration, FHIR API development, EHR/EMR integration and interoperability services.
Development Partner
Software development firm offering FHIR integration, SMART on FHIR app development and HL7 FHIR API implementation services.
Jersey City, New Jersey, United States
Integration Platform
Healthcare interoperability platform that moves clinical and administrative data between EHRs, applications and cloud environments.
Madison, Wisconsin, United States
Integration Platform
Healthcare interoperability company offering the Rhapsody and Corepoint integration engines, terminology and identity tools.
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
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