Sarcouncil Journal of Engineering and Computer Sciences

Abstract: Standards for healthcare interoperability are now critical infrastructure building blocks for contemporary public health surveillance systems, with Health Level Seven International standards being the leading framework for the standardized exchange of health information. Electronic laboratory reporting systems based on HL7 v2.x messaging protocols allow for electronic, automated forwarding of laboratory findings for reportable conditions between clinical facilities and public health agencies, which allows for quick outbreak detection and coordination of response efforts. The COVID-19 pandemic showcased the strengths and limitations of the current HL7 v2.x infrastructure, wherein established messaging infrastructure easily managed unprecedented volumes of reporting while uncovering opportunities for greater real-time surveillance capabilities. Current work emphasizes shifting to FHIR-based public health reporting systems that provide greater data granularity, REST API integration, and greater analytics platform support. Immunization records systems are yet some other use case wherein HL7 standards facilitate two-way communication between vaccination registries and healthcare vendors, serving both at the level of character patient care and population immunity monitoring. The movement from legacy HL7 v2.X deployments in the direction of present-day FHIR designs mirrors industry-wide tendencies in healthcare digitization, even as it ensures operational dependability for public health surveillance duties. These interoperability standards are essential tools for the protection of population health through improved disease surveillance capacity, outbreak response coordination, and immunization registries that provide evidence-based public health decision support processes.