Open TermHub: Comprehensive Q&A for the Open-Source FHIR Terminology Server

Written By Brian Carlsen

Open TermHub is the super-lightweight, containerized solution for FHIR terminology management and healthcare interoperability. Built to handle complex standardized codes like SNOMED CT and LOINC, Open TermHub is the ideal open-source platform for developers, researchers, and health IT teams. This comprehensive Q&A provides technical details on its features, data sourcing, browser capabilities, and where you can find supporting resources.

What is Open TermHub, and why was this open-source FHIR Terminology Server created?

Open TermHub is a super-lightweight, containerized open-source FHIR Terminology Server built for standardized healthcare terminology management. It was created to make robust FHIR tooling accessible to the global community. Key features include:

  • Super-lightweight and scalable environment for developers and health IT teams.

  • Support for standard terminologies like SNOMED CT, LOINC, and ICD-10-CM using native FHIR APIs.

  • Built-in content syndication for automatic data updates.

  • An integrated Terminology Browser for content viewing and validation before use.

Why did you make Open TermHub an open-source FHIR Terminology Server?

The goal was to lower the barrier to entry for developers and public-sector groups that need to work with FHIR CodeSystem, ValueSet, and ConceptMap resources. The open-source model ensures transparency and trust, fosters collaboration and innovation, and provides a highly portable and scalable solution deployable anywhere.

How does the embedded Terminology Browser simplify the process of searching and consuming clinical codes?

The embedded FHIR Terminology Browser runs within the same container as the server, providing a unified search and consumption experience. This means the same content hosted and served via standard FHIR terminology services can be instantly searched and visualized. This unique feature helps bridge the gap between informatics experts and developers, allowing both teams to interact with, search, and share information about the same standardized content.

Beyond basic search, what other advanced functions does the Open TermHub browser expose?

The browser goes beyond the limitations of basic FHIR search APIs by adding critical exploration and validation tools:

  • Hierarchical Navigation: Users can explore hierarchies to fully view the contextual, graph-like nature of the data.

  • Comprehensive Concept View: It displays a complete set of related information in one place, including all properties, synonyms, Value Sets the concept participates in, and Concept Maps it is connected to.

  • Validation: It reinforces the ability to validate terminology relationships before the content is deployed into a production system.

Where can I source standardized terminology data to load into Open TermHub?

Open TermHub is highly flexible and can load FHIR terminology data from multiple sources to support comprehensive data loading:

  1. TermHub Cloud Catalog: The primary source, offering a curated catalog of FHIR CodeSystem, ValueSet, and ConceptMap resources.

  2. External FHIR Servers: Interoperates with other "in the wild" FHIR terminology services resources for partner or public data.

  3. FHIR Questionnaire Support (in development): Full support for importing FHIR Questionnaire resources to manage structured form terminology.

What external FHIR resources (JSON/XML) does Open TermHub support for loading codes from the "wild"?

Open TermHub imports FHIR resources in both JSON and XML formats for the core terminology artifacts:

  • CodeSystem

  • ValueSet

  • ConceptMap

Support for the Questionnaire resource is currently in active development.

What is terminology syndication, and how does it connect Open TermHub to the upstream commercial TermHub application?

Terminology syndication is a mechanism to automatically load and update content into the container by tapping into a published feed (often the TermHub Cloud catalog).

  • It can be configured as a one-time import or operate in a scheduled mode for re-checking content updates.

  • Full re-syndication allows new versions of terminologies, Value Sets, and Mappings to flow into the system and update themselves automatically as soon as the data is ready in the feed.

What FHIR versions does Open TermHub currently support, and how will it be updated for new versions?

Open TermHub currently supports FHIR R4 and R5. As the FHIR standard evolves to R6 and beyond, Open TermHub will maintain versioned APIs for all supported FHIR versions. This commitment ensures backward and forward compatibility for developers, allowing for a phased migration to newer versions of the standard over time.

Where can I get more resources, tutorials, and community support for Open TermHub?

To get started, find documentation, or connect with the community, utilize these key resources:

Open TermHub provides a powerful, portable, and transparent solution for managing FHIR terminology. By offering both a robust server and an integrated browser, it simplifies data consumption and validation. To begin leveraging its capabilities, explore the GitHub repository and video tutorials, or reach out to the team directly for any questions you may have.

Brian Carlsen
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Why FHIR Alone is not Enough Part 3: Terminology Servers and Normalization Enable Interoperability