PopHealth
Encyclopedia
popHealth is an open source
reference implementation software tool that automates population health
reporting. popHealth integrates with a healthcare provider's electronic health record (EHR
) system to produce summary quality measures on the provider's patient
population.
popHealth’s design leverages the generation of Continuity of Care records from a provider’s EHR to produce the clinical quality measure reports. Specifically, popHealth leverages the HITSP CCD/C32 XML and ASTM CCR XML continuity of care standards as inputs. popHealth integrates with multiple EHR systems and will easily scale as clinical quality measures are added. Vendors and healthcare providers using clinical repositories for source data may directly integrate with popHealth and leverage the quality measure engine.
popHealth allows healthcare providers to better understand their patient population and gives them tools to improve the health of their patients by performing their own population care analysis. popHealth provides a streamlined mechanism for sending data on summary quality measures from individual providers to public health organizations. popHealth uses established standards to extract data from the EHR and to generate the summary quality reports. popHealth is also designed to operate within a provider’s infrastructure and use encryption to address privacy and security concerns; support pre-defined quality measure reports, support the ability to export the PQRI XML as a reporting artifact for the transmission of summary data; and support CDA, CCR or the PQRI standards.
(ONC). The popHealth software was originally developed by the MITRE Corporation
, using components of MITRE's free open source Laika
EHR testing framework. popHealth demonstrates how a provider can use the system to submit quality measures or public health data as part of their existing workflow. The transmission of summary quality data is simpler
, less data intensive and more scalable, representing an alternative to traditional methods of data analysis
and reporting.
popHealth empowers physicians to better understand their patient population and gives them tools to improve the health of their patients by performing their own population care analysis
. The software also provides a streamlined mechanism for sending data on summary quality measures from individual providers to public health
organizations.
open source license. All the popHealth software is freely available
for anyone to download, use, modify and/or redistribute. popHealth uses the Ruby on Rails
framework, the Java
programming language, the open source MongoDB
database, and several Web 2.0
JavaScript
libraries including Scriptaculous and Prototype
. The popHealth user interface
is web-based.
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
reference implementation software tool that automates population health
Population health
Population health has been defined as “the health outcomes of a group of individuals, including the distribution of such outcomes within the group.” It is an approach to health that aims to improve the health of an entire population. One major step in achieving this aim is to reduce health...
reporting. popHealth integrates with a healthcare provider's electronic health record (EHR
Electronic Health Record
An electronic health record is an evolving concept defined as a systematic collection of electronic health information about individual patients or populations...
) system to produce summary quality measures on the provider's patient
Patient
A patient is any recipient of healthcare services. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, veterinarian, or other health care provider....
population.
Overview
popHealth is a open source software tool that automates population health reporting quality measures. popHealth integrates with a healthcare provider's electronic health record (EHR) system to produce summary quality measures on the provider's patient population. popHealth demonstrates how a healthcare provider can use popHealth to analyze the quality of care provided as part of their existing workflow. popHealth helps healthcare providers easily understand the logic behind clinical quality measures and easily identifies patients requiring follow-up care.popHealth’s design leverages the generation of Continuity of Care records from a provider’s EHR to produce the clinical quality measure reports. Specifically, popHealth leverages the HITSP CCD/C32 XML and ASTM CCR XML continuity of care standards as inputs. popHealth integrates with multiple EHR systems and will easily scale as clinical quality measures are added. Vendors and healthcare providers using clinical repositories for source data may directly integrate with popHealth and leverage the quality measure engine.
popHealth allows healthcare providers to better understand their patient population and gives them tools to improve the health of their patients by performing their own population care analysis. popHealth provides a streamlined mechanism for sending data on summary quality measures from individual providers to public health organizations. popHealth uses established standards to extract data from the EHR and to generate the summary quality reports. popHealth is also designed to operate within a provider’s infrastructure and use encryption to address privacy and security concerns; support pre-defined quality measure reports, support the ability to export the PQRI XML as a reporting artifact for the transmission of summary data; and support CDA, CCR or the PQRI standards.
Background
popHealth is supported by the Office of the National CoordinatorOffice of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology is a staff division of the Office of the Secretary, within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services...
(ONC). The popHealth software was originally developed by the MITRE Corporation
Mitre
The mitre , also spelled miter, is a type of headwear now known as the traditional, ceremonial head-dress of bishops and certain abbots in the Roman Catholic Church, as well as in the Anglican Communion, some Lutheran churches, and also bishops and certain other clergy in the Eastern Orthodox...
, using components of MITRE's free open source Laika
Laika (EHR Testing Framework)
Laika is an open source Electronic Health Record testing framework. Laika analyzes and reports on the interoperability capabilities of EHR systems. This includes the testing for certification of EHR software products and networks...
EHR testing framework. popHealth demonstrates how a provider can use the system to submit quality measures or public health data as part of their existing workflow. The transmission of summary quality data is simpler
Simplicity
Simplicity is the state or quality of being simple. It usually relates to the burden which a thing puts on someone trying to explain or understand it. Something which is easy to understand or explain is simple, in contrast to something complicated...
, less data intensive and more scalable, representing an alternative to traditional methods of data analysis
Data analysis
Analysis of data is a process of inspecting, cleaning, transforming, and modeling data with the goal of highlighting useful information, suggesting conclusions, and supporting decision making...
and reporting.
popHealth empowers physicians to better understand their patient population and gives them tools to improve the health of their patients by performing their own population care analysis
Analysis
Analysis is the process of breaking a complex topic or substance into smaller parts to gain a better understanding of it. The technique has been applied in the study of mathematics and logic since before Aristotle , though analysis as a formal concept is a relatively recent development.The word is...
. The software also provides a streamlined mechanism for sending data on summary quality measures from individual providers to public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
organizations.
Technical Details
popHealth is licensed under an Apache 2.0Apache License
The Apache License is a copyfree free software license authored by the Apache Software Foundation . The Apache License requires preservation of the copyright notice and disclaimer....
open source license. All the popHealth software is freely available
Foss
Foss may refer toPeople*Foss , people with the last name Foss*Foss Shanahan , New Zealand diplomat*Foss Westcott , English bishop...
for anyone to download, use, modify and/or redistribute. popHealth uses the Ruby on Rails
Ruby on Rails
Ruby on Rails, often shortened to Rails or RoR, is an open source web application framework for the Ruby programming language.-History:...
framework, the Java
Java (programming language)
Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities...
programming language, the open source MongoDB
MongoDB
MongoDB is an open source, high-performance, schema-free, document-oriented database written in the C++ programming language...
database, and several Web 2.0
Web 2.0
The term Web 2.0 is associated with web applications that facilitate participatory information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design, and collaboration on the World Wide Web...
JavaScript
JavaScript
JavaScript is a prototype-based scripting language that is dynamic, weakly typed and has first-class functions. It is a multi-paradigm language, supporting object-oriented, imperative, and functional programming styles....
libraries including Scriptaculous and Prototype
Prototype Javascript Framework
The Prototype JavaScript Framework is a JavaScript framework created by Sam Stephenson in February 2005 as part of the foundation for Ajax support in Ruby on Rails. It is implemented as a single file of JavaScript code, usually named prototype.js...
. The popHealth user interface
User interface
The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...
is web-based.