SME Session 7: Scaling Requirements for FHIR RESTful Exchange Intermediaries 

This SME Panel Session will focus on the proposed solution to address barriers related to Scaling Architecture, developed by the FAST Directory, Versions and Scale Tiger Team. The group of SMEs invited to participate in this session will be asked to evaluate the team's proposed solution, "Scaling Requirements for FHIR RESTful Exchange Intermediaries",  and provide expert insight, feedback, and guidance.

Intermediaries will be needed to scale FHIR across a growing number of healthcare ecosystem participants in anticipation of future healthcare needs and increased transactions embedded in clinical workflows.  Yet there are no “rules of the road” for intermediaries to meet minimum requirements for performance, availability, or response times in support of synchronous end-to-end real-time data exchange.  The FAST team has proposed a solution intended to support:

• The ability to utilize intermediaries to reduce the complexity of connecting with a large number of endpoints and managing authentication and authorization with each
• Predictable intermediary performance to meet real-time exchanges

Participants 

*All SME participants with an asterisk by their name are invited, pending confirmation. 

Relevant Pre-meeting Reading Material 

• The FAST Technical Barriers to the Scalability of FHIR Based Solutions document
• The FAST Scaling Architecture Solution Document V2
• The FAST Action Plan, Scaling Architecture Excerpt

SME Session Details

The nominated SME's will be asked to participate in two meetings in their area of expertise. 

Meeting #1 - SMEs Prep-session  (1 hour) (closed session, by invite only)

• Date/time: 02 Dec 2021 4-5PM ET
• Scope and goals: This session is intended to orient SMEs to the work of FAST, the barriers this team is addressing and the proposed solution the team has developed. The goal is to provide SMEs with the foundational knowledge required to conduct an evaluation of the proposed solution prior to the SME Session.
• Agenda
  • Introductions
  • FAST 101
  • SME Role and Expectations
  • Barriers & Proposed Solution
  • Setting the Stage for SME Session
• Meeting Materials: FAST_SME PREP Session_Scaling Architecture_120221_FINAL.pdf

Meeting #2 -  SMEs Panel Session - An industry discussion around the FAST proposed solution for Scaling Requirements for FHIR RESTful Exchange Intermediaries  (3 hours) (closed session, by invite only)

• Date/time:  06 Dec 2021 3-6PM ET
• Scope and goals: The goal of this session is to elicit SMEs expert insight into proposed solution(s), specifically:
  • Feasibility and effectiveness
  • Potential gaps
  • Unintended consequences
  • Alternate approaches to consider
  • Industry path forward (standard, regulation or policy)
• Agenda
  • Welcome
  • Session Goals
  • Solution Review and Discussion
  • Implications of Solution
  • Industry Path Forward
  • Action Items
• Meeting Materials: FAST_SME Session_Scaling Architecture_120621_FINAL.pdf

Learn More About FAST

FAST’s goal is to analyze and identify HL7® Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR®) scalability gaps and offer possible solutions that will address current barriers and will accelerate FHIR adoption at scale. 

To learn more, you can review the FAST Action Plan for a snapshot of the progress made by FAST so far.

Next Steps following SME Sessions

• FAST Report-Out to summarize session discussion, decisions, and next steps
• FAST Action Plan updates to define proposed solution path (standard, regulation and/or process)

Contact Us

If you have any further questions, comments or would like more information please contact ONC FAST Lead: Alex.Kontur@hhs.gov