Aged Care Modeling Project Info Sheet

1
University of Wollongong
Development of a domain information model for
aged community care using HL7 V3 methods
Assoc. Prof. Jeffrey Soar, Prof. Peter Croll, Dr
Michael Legg, APAI student Isobel Frean,
imf29_at_uow.edu.au
Initiative for e-Health, School of IT and
Computer Science, Faculty of Informatics, The
University of Wollongong

• Project Background Aims
• This research reflects an unique opportunity for
  a collaborative effort between three leading aged
  and community care industry partners and the
  University of Wollongong.
• The aim of this collaboration is to develop a
  conceptual information model
• That reflects the domain specific needs of
  consumers and the work practices of providers of
  care to older people
• That acknowledges the unique cultural, social and
  professional attributes of this growth sector
• That can be used to validate and/or inform the
  objectives of the Federal Governments Health
  Online framework and associated standards

Approach and training Methodology This research
relates to the fields of health informatics, aged
and community care (long term, collaborative,
multidisciplinary, continuity of care) and
business process re-engineering. There are three
aspects to the research Health Level 7
V3 HL7 is an established international standard
for messaging between systems in health care.
Versions 2.3, 2.3.1 and 2.4 of the HL7 messaging
standard are in wide use throughout Australia.
HL7 is developing a new generation of
interoperability standards (version 3) which is
based on an object oriented model called the
Reference Information Model (RIM). This brings
the promise of plug and play communications
between systems with XML messages that are
consistent in syntax and semantics across health
domains. This research will aim to demonstrate
that it is possible to use the HL7 RIM classes to
model the aged and community care domain. This
will be done using object oriented modeling
techniques, typically Unified Modeling Language
(UML). UML is independent of any software
language. The model and associated findings will
be communicated to industry stakeholders and
standards developers in Australia and overseas,
with the objective of ensuring that the unique
needs of users and providers of care in this
domain are reflected in emerging standards and in
the way in which technology is used to support
quality care.
Aspect Three Implications of model for
standards development

• Significance and innovation
• There is limited capacity for the secure
  exchange of health and care related data within
  aged and community care provider organisations or
  between such organisations and other providers
• A domain information model that conforms to
  national and international standards for exchange
  of data will provide a framework that will ensure
  the sector can effectively generate and read
  electronic healthcare records
• The research will demonstrate it is possible to
  use the Health Level 7 (HL7) Reference
  Information Model (RIM) for modelling the aged
  and community care domain

Supported by an Australian Research Council
Linkage Grant 2003

• Industry Partners
• Illawarra Retirement Trust www.irt.org.au
  Phone [phone]
• Our Lady of Consolation Aged Care Services
  www.oloc.com.au Phone [phone]
• Southern Cross Homes Inc (NSW) www.sch.org.au
  Phone [phone]