Health Interoperability
Standards-based data exchange between health information systems, so information recorded in one place can be used safely in another.
Connecting Health Systems. Advancing Digital Health.
We explore, develop, and test digital health technologies that help health systems exchange information, work together, and deliver more connected care.
Why the lab exists
Technology That Connects Healthcare
Most health services already rely on digital systems — for patient records, immunization, programme reporting and community outreach. But those systems are usually built separately, by different teams, to different designs. Each one works on its own; together, they rarely do.
When systems cannot exchange information, people fill the gap: re-entering data, carrying paper between services, and reconciling reports that should have matched. Care becomes harder to follow from one service to the next.
The Health Technology & Interoperability Lab is a practical space for working on that problem — exploring, developing, integrating and testing the standards and technologies that let health systems work together, and sharing what we learn.
Areas of work
What the Lab Works On
Six connected areas, from the standards that define how data is exchanged to the security and validation that make an integration trustworthy.
Standards & Terminology
Shared data models and vocabularies that let systems agree on what a record means, not only on how it is sent.
Health System Integration
Connecting the platforms health services already depend on, rather than replacing them.
Testing & Validation
Checking that an integration behaves as specified before it is relied on — repeatably, with evidence.
Digital Health Security
Making sure connected systems share only what they should, with the right people, and leave a record of it.
AI & Emerging Technologies
Careful, practical experimentation with AI and automation where it can support health workers and health systems.
Standards & Interoperability Lab
Standards and Interoperability Lab (SIL)
The SIL supports the adoption of data exchange standards in the development, testing and implementation of health systems — so systems built by different teams can work together, and digital health can scale on shared foundations.
Objectives
- Provide a shared platform for adopting health data standards such as HL7 FHIR, IHE profiles and the OpenHIE architecture.
- Enable real-world testing of digital health solutions by government programmes, developers and implementing partners in a trusted sandbox.
- Help align digital health implementations with national guidelines and global standards, for sustainability, compliance and scale.
- Support a community of practice for peer learning and alignment across health information teams.
- Build technical capacity to design, deploy and maintain standards-based digital health systems.
The SIL works in three ways
Capacity Building
Structured, practical training for developers, implementers and public institutions in digital health standards, architecture and compliance readiness.
Solution Testing
A sandbox for validating digital health solutions against standards such as HL7 FHIR, OpenHIE and IHE profiles before they go live.
Ecosystem Engagement
Convening developers, health programmes and partners to share learning and agree on how health data should be exchanged.
Components of the programme
Teaming
A community of practice supporting peer learning and alignment across teams and organizations.
Tooling
Shared testing infrastructure and interoperability toolkits that any team can reuse.
Testing
A sandbox environment for structured validation of digital health solutions.
Training
Blended online and in-person learning, organized in modules tied to real digital health use cases.
Sandbox · in preparation
The SIL sandbox is being prepared
Public access will be published here once the sandbox is live. Teams can request early access now, or start with the public tools below.
Public tools you can use today
- HAPI FHIR public test server (R5) (opens in a new tab)An open FHIR R5 server for trying requests. Public and reset regularly, so use synthetic data only.
- HL7 FHIR Validator (opens in a new tab)Check resources against the FHIR specification and implementation guide profiles.
Third-party services, not operated by Amakomaya.
Use cases & testing themes
Maternal & child health data exchange
Following a mother and child across community, facility and reporting systems.
Disease surveillance
Timely, standards-based case reporting from facilities to public health programmes.
Health worker & facility registries
Shared master lists so every system refers to the same people and places.
Client record sharing
Making a client’s record available, with consent, wherever they seek care.
Desired outcomes
- Better care through seamless data exchange between services
- Stronger public health surveillance built on interoperable systems
- Local capacity for standards-based implementation and support
- More digital health innovation built on shared foundations
- An inclusive ecosystem that supports equitable access to care
Approach
How the Lab Works
Each piece of work moves through the same cycle, so what is built is grounded in a real need, tested against it, and documented for the next team.
Step 01: Explore
Identify health system challenges and integration requirements.
Step 02: Design
Define workflows, standards, architecture, and data models.
Step 03: Integrate
Develop and connect systems using appropriate standards and APIs.
Step 04: Validate
Test interoperability, data quality, security, and expected behavior.
Step 05: Learn & Improve
Document findings, share reusable resources, and improve implementations.
Technology ecosystem
The Technologies We Work With
Interoperability depends on many layers working together. These are the categories of standards, systems and tools the lab engages with.
Interoperability standards
The exchange formats and APIs systems use to talk to each other.
- HL7 FHIR R5
Health information systems
The platforms where health data is recorded, managed and reported.
- DHIS2
- Electronic health records
Terminology
Shared vocabularies that keep coded data consistent across systems.
- Open Concept Lab
- Clinical terminology standards
Identity & security
Who can access what, on whose behalf, and how that is verified.
- OAuth 2.0
- OpenID Connect
- Keycloak
Validation & development
The tooling used to build integrations and prove they behave correctly.
- FHIR validators
- API testing
- Automated testing
- Integration tools
AI & data
Using health data well — and using new techniques responsibly.
- Responsible AI
- Analytics
- Data quality
Projects & demonstrations
Work in Progress
The lab's first areas of practical work. Each will be documented with its scope, the technologies involved and, where possible, a demonstration or source code.
- IllustrationDetails coming soon
Interoperability in Practice
Worked examples of health information systems exchanging data through standard interfaces — showing the integration pattern, not just the endpoint.
- HL7 FHIR
- REST APIs
- Integration patterns
- IllustrationDetails coming soon
FHIR Standards & Validation
Profiles, terminology and validation approaches for checking that FHIR R5 resources conform to the rules an implementation depends on.
- FHIR profiles
- Implementation guides
- Validators
- IllustrationDetails coming soon
Connected Maternal Health Systems
Exploring how maternal health information can follow a woman across community, facility and reporting systems.
- Maternal health
- HL7 FHIR
- DHIS2
Resources & knowledge
A Growing Resource Library
Documentation, guides, learning material and reusable assets for developers and health information teams — published here as the lab's work matures.
- 2 resources
Technical documentation
Architecture notes and reference material for the systems the lab works with.
- In preparation
Implementation guides
Profiles, extensions and conformance rules for specific use cases.
Resources will be listed here as they are published.
- In preparation
API documentation
Endpoints, authentication and example requests.
Resources will be listed here as they are published.
- In preparation
Tutorials & learning
Step-by-step material for developers and health information teams.
Resources will be listed here as they are published.
- In preparation
Research publications
Papers, reports and findings from lab work.
Resources will be listed here as they are published.
- In preparation
Test datasets & examples
Synthetic data and example implementations for testing — never real patient data.
Resources will be listed here as they are published.
- In preparation
Open-source repositories
Code the lab publishes for reuse.
Resources will be listed here as they are published.
Collaboration
Let's Build More Connected Health Systems.
Have a health technology challenge, an interoperability project, or an idea worth testing? Let's explore how we can work together.
Open to collaboration with
- Health technology developers
- Health facilities and health information system teams
- Universities and researchers
- Government and development partners
- Digital health innovators