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INTEROPERABILITY
PRANA · 2026
STANDARDS

FHIR: the language of health data

Healthcare data has historically been trapped in proprietary formats, each HMS storing information its own way. FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) is the international standard that gives health data a common language. When a hospital's records are transformed into FHIR, they become portable.

Prana Research|May 2026|4 min read
FHIR: the language of health data
FHIR R4 Bundle structure showing Composition, Patient, Encounter, and MedicationRequest resourcesBundle (document)Compositiontype: "OPConsultation"subject: Patient/abha-addressPatientidentifier: ABHA NumberEncounterclass: outpatientMedicationRequestmedication: prescribed drugs

What FHIR carries

ABDM uses FHIR to structure and exchange the following health information types:

  • OPD Consultation Notes
  • Medication Prescriptions
  • Hospital Discharge Summaries
  • Laboratory & Diagnostic Reports
  • Vaccination Records
  • General Health Documents

The interoperability bottleneck

FHIR transformation is the core technical challenge of healthcare interoperability. Taking proprietary HMS data formats and converting them into standards-compliant FHIR bundles while maintaining clinical accuracy and completeness is what makes ecosystem participation possible.

This is one of Prana's core technical areas: FHIR transformation as an infrastructure service that healthcare systems do not have to build themselves.

FHIRFHIR R4health data standardshealthcare interoperability
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