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OpenEyes supports integration with various external healthcare systems through multiple mechanisms including APIs, HL7 messaging, DICOM, and direct database connections.

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Integration Overview

PASAPI

Patient Administration System integration for demographic synchronization

HL7/Mirth

Health Level 7 messaging for clinical data exchange

DICOM

Medical imaging integration for biometry and diagnostics

HIE

Health Information Exchange for viewing remote patient records

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PASAPI Integration

The PASAPI module (protected/modules/PASAPI/) provides integration with Patient Administration Systems for demographic synchronization.

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Configuration

Configure PASAPI via environment variables: 
OE_PASAPI_ENABLE=TRUE
OE_PASAPI_URL=http://pas-server:4200

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Features

  • Patient demographic synchronization
  • Real-time updates from PAS
  • Bidirectional data exchange
  • Automatic patient matching

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API Endpoints

The PASAPI V1Controller provides: 
// Endpoint structure
/PASAPI/V1/Patient/{action}
Actions include patient create, update, and search operations synchronized with the external PAS.

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HL7/Mirth Integration

The Mirth module (protected/modules/Mirth/) enables HL7 messaging for clinical data exchange.

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HL7 Message Types Supported

  • ADT^A01 - Patient admit
  • ADT^A02 - Patient transfer
  • ADT^A03 - Patient discharge
  • ADT^A04 - Patient registration
  • ADT^A08 - Patient update
  • Order placement
  • Order status updates
  • Result reporting

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Configuration

# Mirth Connect Channel Configuration
- Source: OpenEyes Database
- Destination: HL7 Listener
- Message Format: HL7 v2.x

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Admin Interface

Access the Mirth admin interface at /Mirth/admin to:
  • View message queues
  • Monitor integration status
  • Configure message mappings
  • Troubleshoot failed messages

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DICOM Integration

DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) integration supports medical imaging import and device connectivity.

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Biometry DICOM

The biometry module includes DICOM file watching capabilities for automatic import of biometry measurements: 
// DICOM file watcher configuration
protected/modules/OphInBiometry/components/DicomFileWatcher.php

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Features

  • Automatic DICOM file import
  • Device integration (IOLMaster, Lenstar, Argos)
  • DICOM tag parsing
  • Patient matching by identifiers
  • Measurement validation

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Supported DICOM Tags

(0010,0020) - Patient ID
(0010,0010) - Patient Name
(0010,0030) - Patient Birth Date
(0008,0020) - Study Date
(0008,0090) - Referring Physician
(Custom tags for biometry measurements)

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Configuration

Set the DICOM watch directory in system settings: 
'biometry_dicom_watch_dir' => '/path/to/dicom/import'

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Health Information Exchange (HIE)

HIE integration enables viewing of patient records from external healthcare systems.

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Configuration

Configure HIE via environment variables: 
OE_PORTAL_ENABLED=TRUE
OE_PORTAL_URI=https://hie.example.com
OE_PORTAL_EXTERNAL_URI=https://hie-external.example.com
OE_PORTAL_USERNAME=openeyes_user
OE_PORTAL_PASSWORD=secure_password
OE_PORTAL_CLIENT_ID=openeyes-client
OE_PORTAL_CLIENT_SECRET=client_secret_value

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Features

  • Remote record viewing via iframe
  • Single sign-on integration
  • Patient context passing
  • Secure authentication

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Implementation

HIE integration in patient summary: 
// protected/controllers/PatientController.php
// Displays HIE iframe when configured
if (SettingMetadata::model()->getSetting('hie_enabled')) {
    $hieUrl = Yii::app()->params['hie_portal_url'];
    // Render iframe with patient context
}

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Docman Integration

Document management integration for scanning and importing correspondence.

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Features

  • Document import from scanning systems
  • Automatic patient matching
  • OCR text extraction
  • Document categorization
  • Attachment to patient records

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Configuration

'docman' => [
    'enabled' => true,
    'import_path' => '/var/docman/import',
    'archive_path' => '/var/docman/archive'
]

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Imagenet Integration

Integration with ophthalmology imaging systems.

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Controller

protected/controllers/ImagenetController.php handles:
  • Image import
  • Patient matching
  • Image categorization
  • Storage management

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NOD Export

National Ophthalmic Database export for clinical audit and research.

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Features

  • Automated data extraction
  • Anonymization options
  • Scheduled exports
  • Compliance reporting

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Configuration

Access NOD export at /NodExport/admin:
1

Configure Export Criteria

Select date ranges and data sets
2

Select Anonymization Level

Choose patient identifier handling
3

Generate Export

Create CSV/XML export file
4

Submit to NOD

Upload to national database portal

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CXL Dataset Export

Clinical dataset exports for research and audit.

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Controller

protected/controllers/CxlDatasetController.php provides:
  • Custom dataset definitions
  • Flexible query builder
  • Multiple export formats
  • Scheduled exports

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API Integration

For custom integrations, use the OpenEyes API module. See API Documentation for details.

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Key Integration Points

Patient API

Patient search and demographic access

Events API

Clinical event data and attachments

Authentication

API authentication and security

Request Queue

External device data queue

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Integration Security

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Authentication Methods

Basic authentication with username/password for API access

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Network Security

  • Firewall rules - Restrict integration traffic to specific IP ranges
  • VPN tunnels - Secure communication over public networks
  • SSL/TLS encryption - All API communication encrypted
  • IP whitelisting - Limit API access to known systems

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Monitoring Integration Health

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Integration Audit Trail

All integration activity is logged: 
// Access audit logs
/audit/search?action=integration

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Health Check Endpoints

Monitor integration status: 
# Check PASAPI connectivity
curl http://localhost/PASAPI/health

# Check API availability
curl http://localhost/api/v1/health

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Common Issues

Symptoms: Patient demographic sync not workingSolutions:
  • Verify OE_PASAPI_URL is correct
  • Check network connectivity to PAS
  • Review PASAPI logs in /protected/runtime/application.log
  • Confirm PAS API credentials are valid
Symptoms: DICOM files not appearing in biometrySolutions:
  • Check DICOM watch directory permissions
  • Verify DICOM file format compliance
  • Review patient ID matching configuration
  • Check DICOM file watcher cron job status
Symptoms: Messages stuck in Mirth queueSolutions:
  • Review Mirth Connect channel status
  • Check HL7 message format compliance
  • Verify patient matching rules
  • Clear and retry failed messages
Symptoms: External record viewer shows errorSolutions:
  • Verify OE_PORTAL_URI configuration
  • Check HIE authentication credentials
  • Review browser console for CORS errors
  • Confirm patient ID is being passed correctly

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Best Practices

Integration Design Principles

  • Idempotency - Design integrations to handle duplicate messages safely
  • Error handling - Implement robust retry logic with exponential backoff
  • Logging - Comprehensive integration activity logging for troubleshooting
  • Monitoring - Active health checks and alerting on integration failures
  • Security - Principle of least privilege for integration accounts
  • Testing - Dedicated test environment for integration development

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See Also

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