SanteDB HL7v2 Implementation

Any implementation of HL7 Version 2 messaging has its own method of processing messages, and SanteDB is no different. This page discusses the particulars of the SanteDB's implementation of the HL7v2 message specification.

Version Support

SanteDB uses HL7 Version 2.5 as its internal canonical model for HL7 messages. All services in SanteDB's HL7 layer are implemented using Version 2.5 structures, and wire versions are translated to/from that version.

Because of this implementation, HL7v2.5 is the latest version of messaging supported by SanteDB.

Transport Support

SanteDB supports common HL7 Version 2.5 transports including:

  • TCP Sockets -> Raw messages sent over a simple TCP socket, containing no special control characters.

  • Lower Layer Protocol -> Unsecured TCP socket which uses the LLP control characters (VT, FS, CR, etc.) for delineation of message boundaries.

  • Secure Lower Layer Protocol -> A TLS wrapped TCP socket which uses the LLP control characters. This transport also supports client authentication.

Each service in the HL7 message handler defines an address attribute which has a URI. The scheme of this URI dictates the selected transport for messaging. The schemes for this URI are:

Scheme

Transport

Example

llp

HL7 Lower Layer Protocol (not encrypted)

llp://0.0.0.0:2100/

tcp

Raw TCP/IP Sockets

tcp://127.0.0.1:9990/

sllp

HL7 Lower Layer Protocol + TLS Transport

sllp://0.0.0.0:2100/

Each service also requires the definition for which trigger events and which handlers should be used on that particular service endpoint which are configured using the <handler> element.

TLS + LLP (SLLP)

When using the TLS option, you must provide an <sllp> element, which controls how the encryption for the channel is setup.

A simple encrypted channel over SLLP where no client authentication is required is configured as:

 <add address="sllp://0.0.0.0:2200" receiveTimeout="0" name="SanteMPI IHE SLLP">
  <sllp checkCrl="true" requireClientCert="false">
    <serverCertificate findType="FindByThumbprint" storeLocation="LocalMachine" findValue="467808134ADFFA873694261C707016EC03080A86" />
  </sllp>

Element / Attribute

Description

@checkCrl

When true, instructs the iCDR to actively check the listed CRL on the certificate to validate whether the certificate is revoked. When enabled, there may be a performance penalty since the CRL cache on some operating systems is not present in .NET.

@requireClientCert

When true, instructs the iCDR to challenge clients for a client certificate for node authentication.

serverCertificate

Specifies the manner in which the X.509 certificate for encrypting server traffic should be located. This is the certificate which the iCDR will use to authenticate itself to clients and encrypt traffic. The certificate find mechanism uses the Windows certificate store (on Windows) or the Mono certificate tool (on Linux or Mac)

clientAuthorityCertificate

Specifies the certification authority root which is used to validate clients are permitted to access the server. This certificate should appear in the client certificate's chain, or else validation fails. Note: This is a pre-check, actual device principals are created using the certificate thumbprint and the MSH segment.

Identity Domain / Assigning Authority Resolution

Within an HL7 message, identifiers using the CX datatype (composite identifier) carry an fourth component which indicates the authority under which the identity was assigned.

Simple Namespace

Whenever the CX.4 component carry a simple value such as: 304-304-203^^^SSN the namespace ID is mapped to the DomainName property of an assigning authority. In this case, SanteDB would search its data store for a configured assigning authority with DomainName of SSN.

Universal Namespace

Whenever the CX.4 component carries a universal identifier, such as : 304-304-203^^^&2.16.840.1.113883.4.1&ISO the SanteDB server will map the CX.4.2 to the Oid property of the assigning authority.

When using both a NamespaceID and a UniversalID , for example: 304-304-203^^^SSN&2.16.840.1.113883.4.1&ISO then SanteDB will ensure that both components agree on the authority to be resolved.

No Namespace

Some older PACS systems do not include clearly specified identity domains in the CX.4 , for example, if a sender issues a request such as:

MSH|^~\&|PACS|CENTRAL|CR1|MOH_CAAT|20211104174451||ADT^A01^ADT_A01||P|2.3.1
EVN||20101020
PID|||RJ-438||JOHNSTON^BOB^^^^^L
PV1||I

The SanteDB instance must attempt to resolve the authority under which RJ-438 is registered. To do this, the SanteDB server will attempt to locate any assigning authority which the authenticated application principal is permitted to assign. In this case the assigning application would be PACS . If more than one candidate authority is located, then a CR indicating ambiguous authorities were found.

In order for no namespace resolution to be enabled, the value of strictCx4 in the configuration must be set to false

PID-19 / Social Security Resolution

If your deployment uses the PID-19 field to convey a national social security number, you must configure the ssnAuthority element in your HL7 configuration which links the SSN authority with a registered identity domain. For example, in the US to configure PID-19 to use the built-in SSN authority name:

<ssnAuthority operation="Auto">
    <domainName xmlns="http://santedb.org/model">SSN</domainName>
    <oid xmlns="http://santedb.org/model">2.16.840.1.113883.4.1</oid>
    <url xmlns="http://santedb.org/model">http://hl7.org/fhir/sid/us-ssn</url>
</ssnAuthority>

This will allow the resolution of the simple string in PID-19 to map to an authority.

If your deployment uses PID-19 to map to another identity such as national social insurance number, etc. you should modify the ssnAuthority element to match.

Internal / Local Authority

When SanteDB responds or receives a message in HL7v2, it is possible to reference the UUID for the object using the PID-3 segment if the localAuthority element is configured.

<localAuthority operation="Auto">
    <domainName xmlns="http://santedb.org/model">LOCAL_AUTH</domainName>
    <oid xmlns="http://santedb.org/model">1.3.6.1.4.1.52820.5.1.1.1.999</oid>
    <url xmlns="http://santedb.org/model">http://your/fhir/authority</url>
</localAuthority>

For example, to allow a client to explicitly merge two discrete records (known UUIDS) on the SanteDB server, with the configuration above, the source system would send:

MSH|^~\&|PACS|CENTRAL|CR1|MOH_CAAT|20211104174451||ADT^A40^ADT_A40||P|2.3.1
EVN||20101020
PID|||5634a7a3-a394-4010-8681-34adff13a47e^^^LOCAL_AUTH||JOHNSTON^BOB^^^^^L
MRG|2f4b0ac1-6edb-4b16-9d4d-339b2455f66e^^^LOCAL_AUTH

Query By Parameter (QBP)

The built-in HL7 message process or supports the following Query By Parameter (QBP) triggers:

Trigger
QPD Field
Notes

QBP^Q22 (Find Candidates)

QPD-3

Filter parameters in format @PID.FLD.COMP^VALUE such as @PID.5.1^JONES

QPD-4

Not Supported

QPD-5

  • approx - Allow the server to determine the algorithm supporting approximate matching

  • exact - Exact matches only

  • pattern - Support for wildcards like * and ?

  • soundex - Use the soundex matching algorithm

  • metaphone - Use the metaphone phonetic algorithm

  • dmetaphone - Use the double metaphone algorithm

  • alias - Use name aliases

QPD-8

Controls which identity domains are returned

QBP^Q23 Cross Reference

QPD-3

Query for identifiers in domains

QBP-4

What domains should be returned in the cross reference.

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