Dell Medical School Building FHIR-Based Community Data Platform
In 2021, the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas received grant funding from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT to build a FHIR-enabled Social and Health Information Platform (FHIRed-SHIP).
During a Feb. 23 ONC Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Information Exchange Learning Forum, Dell Medical School executives described some of the progress they’ve made.
The platform is being designed to integrate a closed-loop social services referral system accessible through the electronic health records (EHRs) maintained and used by Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). The system will help manage social needs identified in clinical settings; exchange information between clinical providers and community-based organizations; and integrate clinical workflows and EHRs.
The system will leverage FHIR APIs and the Gravity Project’s use case package, which outline use cases for the collection of SDOH data as they relate to food security, housing stability, and transportation access.