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Formulating a strategy for systems integration and selecting an integration engine

Formulating a strategy for systems integration and selecting an integration engine. Philip Firth IM&T Strategy Implementation Manager Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh NHS Trust Philip.Firth@wwl.nhs.uk. WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS?. Buy an Integration Engine and develop interfaces in-house

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Formulating a strategy for systems integration and selecting an integration engine

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  1. Formulating a strategy for systems integration and selecting an integration engine Philip Firth IM&T Strategy Implementation ManagerWrightington, Wigan & Leigh NHS Trust Philip.Firth@wwl.nhs.uk

  2. WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS? • Buy an Integration Engine and develop interfaces in-house • Cost effective if more than one interface • Very scalable • Find a supplier to build interfaces • Can be expensive • if more than one interface needed • if interface requirements change

  3. WHY DOES THE NHS NEED TO INVEST IN INTEGRATION ENGINES? • Information Governance: improving data quality • Payment by Results • 18 Week Pathway • To enable NHS Connecting for Health projects via existing systems integration

  4. WHAT IS AN INTEGRATION ENGINE? An interface engine is a software program designed to simplify the creation and management of interfaces between separate applications and systems within an organization. Interface engines for Healthcare: 21st Century Trends. McLeod CG, Inc., 2004

  5. Interface engines for Healthcare: 21st Century Trends. McLeod CG, Inc., 2004 t

  6. Interface engines for Healthcare: 21st Century Trends. McLeod CG, Inc., 2004

  7. Integration EngineProcurement What needs to go into theOutput Based Specification?

  8. INTEGRATION ENGINE COMPONENTS CORE REQUIREMENTS • Ease of use • User-friendly tools for developing/maintaining interfaces between existing systems • Extensibility and scalability: • Ability to develop, maintain and extend any number of interfaces in-house • Future Proof • Plug-ins/Adaptors for new/updated message standards

  9. INTEGRATION ENGINE COMPONENTS CORE REQUIREMENTS Example: User-friendly interface development environment

  10. INTEGRATION ENGINE COMPONENTS CORE REQUIREMENTS • Interface Engine, handles • Communication between systems • Message routing • Inter-format mapping • Persistent message delivery • Administration tools • GUI toolsets to develop / manage interfaces • Monitoring tools • Monitor system logs and error conditions • Manage the re-sending of messages

  11. INTEGRATION ENGINE COMPONENTS CORE REQUIREMENTS • Audit and monitoring tools • Interface engine monitoring screen(s) • Message tracking / Audit trails • Performance monitoring tools • Reporting tools for analysing trends

  12. INTEGRATION ENGINE COMPONENTS CORE REQUIREMENTS Example: Interface engine monitoring screen

  13. INTEGRATION ENGINE COMPONENTS CORE REQUIREMENTS Example: Interface audit monitoring screen

  14. INTEGRATION ENGINE COMPONENTS CORE REQUIREMENTS • Reliable / Guaranteed delivery • Message queues (persist messages until delivery confirmed) • Ability to resend unacknowledged messages (No of re-tries should be configurable) • Encryption(guarantee message is not altered in transit)

  15. INTEGRATION ENGINE COMPONENTS CORE REQUIREMENTS • Error / Exception handling • Audit logs • Error logs • Error Queues • Ability to edit and resend messages • Ability to configure system / write scripts to handle specific error conditions

  16. INTEGRATION ENGINE COMPONENTS CORE REQUIREMENTS • Ability to enforce the order in which messages are processed • eg. First In, First Out (FIFO) messaging where sequencing of messages is critical

  17. INTEGRATION ENGINE COMPONENTS CORE REQUIREMENTS • Data mapping / conversion toolsets Example: Map Openlink message to equivalent HL7 message for test patient

  18. INTEGRATION ENGINE COMPONENTSSTANDARDS • Conformance with key NHS information / messaging standards, including • HL7v2.x • EDIFACT • ASTM

  19. INTEGRATION ENGINE COMPONENTSSTANDARDS • Conformance to the NHS messaging standards being developed by CfH, ie: HL7v3 (NPfIT Message Implementation Manual (MIM))

  20. INTEGRATION ENGINE COMPONENTSSTANDARDS • Other standards • Conformance with e-GIF standards • Conformance with proprietary messaging standards, such as Openlink • Other requirements • Check whether required Web Services protocols are supported SOAP, WSDL, UDDI etc. • Check whether required operating systems are supported

  21. Integration EngineProcurement Other considerations

  22. PROCURING AN INTEGRATION ENGINE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS • Customer base • Check whether the supplier has a proven track record in healthcare integration • Re-usable libraries • Check whether product has HL7 adaptors, libraries, and other plug-ins bundled into the product • Skills • Check what skills will be needed to use the product, and whether they are available in-house

  23. PROCURING AN INTEGRATION ENGINE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS • Licensing costs • Support and maintenance costs • What levels of customer support are available? • Standard hours or 24x7? • Implementation costs • Does any interface development need to be out-sourced?. • Training needs

  24. PROCURING AN INTEGRATION ENGINEESTABLISHING LIFETIME COSTS Ask the suppliers to include their lifetime costs for all components in the OBS / tender response.

  25. Integration EngineProcurement Potential issues

  26. INTEGRATION ENGINE ISSUES RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION • Core skills - in short supply • Systems integration experience (ideally NHS) • Healthcare standards (HL7v2.x, HL7v3 etc) • Microsoft .NET • Java • Enterprise development (Oracle/SQL Server) • Potentially rising demand for skilled staff • NCRS roll-out, PbR, 18 Week Pathway etc • Agenda for Change • can NHS salaries compete with private sector?

  27. Integration EngineProcurement UK Marketplace

  28. INTEGRATION ENGINES UK HEALTHCARE MARKETPLACE

  29. SUMMARY • Evaluate local integration requirements • Decide whether to: • Develop interfaces in-house, or • Find a supplier to build interfaces • If option (a) preferred • Write output based specification for an integration engine and test the marketplace • Ensure sufficient skills in-house to both develop and maintain interfaces

  30. Questions?

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