Azure Functions
Author: Ronald Fung
Creation Date: 22 May 2023
Next Modified Date: 22 May 2024
A. Introduction
Azure API for FHIR enables rapid exchange of data through Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR®) APIs, backed by a managed Platform-as-a Service (PaaS) offering in the cloud. It makes it easier for anyone working with health data to ingest, manage, and persist Protected Health Information PHI in the cloud:
Managed FHIR service, provisioned in the cloud in minutes Enterprise-grade, FHIR®-based endpoint in Azure for data access, and storage in FHIR® format High performance, low latency Secure management of Protected Health Information (PHI) in a compliant cloud environment SMART on FHIR for mobile and web implementations Control your own data at scale with role-based access control (RBAC) Audit log tracking for access, creation, modification, and reads within each data store Azure API for FHIR allows you to create and deploy a FHIR service in just minutes to leverage the elastic scale of the cloud. You pay only for the throughput and storage you need. The Azure services that power Azure API for FHIR are designed for rapid performance no matter what size datasets you’re managing.
The FHIR API and compliant data store enable you to securely connect and interact with any system that utilizes FHIR APIs. Microsoft takes on the operations, maintenance, updates, and compliance requirements in the PaaS offering, so you can free up your own operational and development resources.
The following video presents an overview of Azure API for FHIR:
B. How is it used at Seagen
As a biopharma research company, Seagen can use Microsoft Azure Healthcare API to develop healthcare applications that can integrate and analyze patient data from various sources such as electronic health records (EHRs), medical devices, wearables, and other health-related applications. Some ways Seagen could use Azure Healthcare API are:
Developing personalized medicine: By integrating patient data from different sources, Seagen can develop personalized medicine that can better treat and manage diseases.
Clinical trials: Seagen can use Azure Healthcare API to gather and analyze data from clinical trials and create new insights into treatments and therapies.
Remote patient monitoring: Seagen can develop remote patient monitoring applications that can collect and analyze patient data in real-time, and identify potential health issues before they escalate.
Predictive analytics: By using Azure Healthcare API, Seagen can develop predictive analytics models that can help identify patients who are at risk of developing certain diseases, and take preventive measures.
Electronic Health Records (EHRs): Seagen can use Azure Healthcare API to integrate EHRs and other healthcare data to provide a comprehensive view of the patient’s health history, and improve the quality of care.
Overall, Seagen can leverage Azure Healthcare API to build innovative healthcare solutions that can improve patient outcomes, enhance the quality of care, and reduce healthcare costs.
C. Features
Azure Healthcare API is a set of services and tools that enable developers to build secure, scalable, and interoperable healthcare solutions in the cloud. Some of the key features of Azure Healthcare API are:
FHIR API: Azure Healthcare API supports the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standard, which is a widely adopted standard for exchanging healthcare information. The FHIR API provides a set of RESTful APIs that enable developers to access and manipulate healthcare data stored in FHIR resources.
Data integration: Azure Healthcare API provides tools to integrate healthcare data from various sources such as electronic health records (EHRs), medical devices, wearables, and other health-related applications. This enables developers to create a comprehensive view of the patient’s health history.
Security and compliance: Azure Healthcare API provides robust security and compliance features to ensure that healthcare data is protected and meets regulatory requirements such as HIPAA and GDPR.
Analytics and insights: Azure Healthcare API provides tools to analyze healthcare data and gain insights into disease patterns, treatment outcomes, and patient behavior. This enables developers to create personalized healthcare solutions that can improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.
Developer tools: Azure Healthcare API provides a set of developer tools such as software development kits (SDKs), sample code, and documentation that enable developers to build healthcare solutions quickly and efficiently.
Overall, Azure Healthcare API provides a comprehensive set of services and tools that enable developers to build innovative healthcare solutions that can improve patient outcomes, enhance the quality of care, and reduce healthcare costs.
D. Where Implemented
E. How it is tested
Testing Azure Healthcare API involves several steps that include:
Setting up the testing environment: The first step is to create a testing environment that is separate from the production environment. This ensures that any issues or bugs discovered during testing do not affect the live system.
Creating test cases: The next step is to create test cases that cover all the functionalities of the Azure Healthcare API. Test cases should include positive and negative scenarios, edge cases, and stress tests.
Running tests: Once the test cases are created, the next step is to run the tests. This involves executing the test cases and recording the results.
Debugging and fixing issues: If any issues or bugs are discovered during testing, they must be debugged and fixed before proceeding with further testing.
Repeat testing: After fixing the issues, the tests must be run again to ensure that the fixes have been successful and there are no further issues.
Integration testing: Once the Azure Healthcare API has been tested, it must be integrated with other systems and applications to ensure that it works seamlessly with other components.
User acceptance testing: Finally, the Azure Healthcare API must undergo user acceptance testing to ensure that it meets the requirements of the end-users.
Overall, testing Azure Healthcare API involves a comprehensive testing approach that covers all the functionalities of the API and ensures that it meets the requirements of the end-users.
F. 2023 Roadmap
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G. 2024 Roadmap
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H. Known Issues
Like all software products, Azure Healthcare API may have some known issues. Here are some of the known issues for Azure Healthcare API:
Latency issues: Azure Healthcare API relies on cloud-based infrastructure, which may cause latency issues when retrieving data from various sources. This can impact the performance of healthcare applications that rely on Azure Healthcare API.
Security concerns: Although Azure Healthcare API provides robust security features, there may be some security concerns related to the handling of sensitive patient data. This requires developers to follow best practices for secure coding and data handling.
Compatibility issues: Azure Healthcare API supports the FHIR standard, but there may be compatibility issues with legacy healthcare systems that use different data formats. This requires developers to ensure that data is converted to the appropriate format before being processed by Azure Healthcare API.
Documentation: Some developers have reported that the documentation for Azure Healthcare API can be confusing or incomplete. This requires developers to spend additional time understanding the API and its functionality.
Limitations: Azure Healthcare API has some limitations related to the number of requests per second, the size of data that can be transferred, and the number of simultaneous connections. These limitations can impact the performance of healthcare applications that rely on Azure Healthcare API.
Overall, while Azure Healthcare API is a powerful tool for building healthcare applications, developers must be aware of these known issues and take steps to mitigate their impact.
[x] Reviewed by Enterprise Architecture
[x] Reviewed by Application Development
[x] Reviewed by Data Architecture