How Apple Health Pulls Your Medical Records: The FHIR Stack, Explained
Apple Health can pull your medical records straight from your hospital. Here's the FHIR stack behind it, SMART on FHIR, US Core, and the law that made it work.
Medblocks Blog
We believe healthcare deserves better software. Follow our journey building open infrastructure for the future of health.
OpenEMR: The Complete Guide to the World’s Most Popular Open-Source EHR
A practical guide to the world's most popular open-source EHR, its architecture, FHIR APIs, Docker setup, and where it can fit well.
SMART on FHIR: How It Works and How to Build Apps That Launch Inside EHRs
Learn how SMART on FHIR connects apps to EHRs using FHIR APIs and OAuth2. Covers launch flows, scopes, Epic and Cerner setup, SMART v2, and building your first app.
The 21st Century Cures Act in 2026: Information Blocking, Exceptions, and What's Now Being Enforced
What the 21st Century Cures Act requires, who counts as an actor, the information blocking exceptions and penalties, and where enforcement stands in 2026.
Karolinska Tip2Toe: Structured Rare-Disease Phenotyping with SMART on openEHR
This project breakdown looks at how we built Tip2Toe, a rare disease phenotyping application for Karolinska University Hospital.
The Data Warehouse is openEHR's Strongest Use Case Right Now
Why openEHR works better as a silver layer in your data warehouse than as a CDR, and what that means for clinical data at scale.
What is HL7? Understanding the Standard Behind Healthcare Data Exchange
This article details HL7's role in healthcare data exchange since 1987. It explores the standards family including legacy v2, CDA, and modern FHIR APIs highlighting their necessity for interoperability, regulatory compliance, and system integration.
What Is FHIR? The Complete Developer Guide [2026, R4]
The complete guide to FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources). Learn FHIR resources, R4, Profiles and Implementation Guides, SMART on FHIR, HL7 history, and how to start.
EHR Systems Explained: What They Are, How They Work, and How to Choose the Right One
Learn how EHR systems work, compare EHR vs EMR, explore FHIR interoperability, implementation costs, architecture, and key features in this complete guide.
How to Get a Patient's Health Record in 2026
You'd think I'd tell you about APIs or tools. The key is in understanding legal coverage.
I Built Something A Few Weeks Ago
My mother-in-law needed a clinical trial. My wife and I, both doctors, had a hard time finding the right one. I decided to try to solve it.
Can openEHR just be SQL tables?
I make the case that SQL could be the solution to simplifying the layers of complexity in health data architecture. This is a written version of my talk at EHRCON 25.
Couchbase FHIR vs HAPI FHIR: Who is faster?
Choosing a self-hosted FHIR server? This benchmark compares Couchbase FHIR and HAPI FHIR under real-world load from 100 to 1,000 concurrent users. Discover which handles higher throughput, maintains lower latency, and where each architecture hits its breaking point. Data-driven insights for healthcare infrastructure decisions.
I Am Terrible at Directions
But that hasn't mattered in years.
CDS Hooks Matter More Than You Think
CDS Hooks are more than alerts: they’re real-time EHR webhooks that can surface a card and launch a SMART on FHIR app, letting you run workflows outside the EHR. The key is relevance + low latency, and rising adoption.
No More Service Partners
We tried scaling with service partners, but it didn't work. Learn what went wrong, how we're fixing it, and why we're returning to our lean in-house team.
Couchbase + FHIR for healthcare at scale | DHH Podcast
In this Digital Health Hackers episode, I discuss the Couchbase FHIR Server CE with Krishna Prasad Doddi, exploring our collaborative build and insights.
The $10 Million Mistake Toyota Refused to Make
What can car factories from the 70s teach us about health data exchange?
Why do AI Agents Fail on EHR Data?
Benchmark results and a failure deep-dive expose the real gap in healthcare data: missing semantic models, and the value-set workarounds they force.
What Is openEHR? End Vendor Lock-In & Future-Proof EHR Data
EHR vendors holding your data hostage? openEHR separates clinical meaning from software so records outlive any app. Trusted by NHS, Catalonia & 8M+ patients.
IHE XDS Explained: Registry, Repository & ITI Transactions
Understand IHE XDS federated architecture: Registry, Repository, ITI-41/42/43 transactions & SOAP. Run a working XDS exchange locally with the NIST toolkit.
Building Clinician-First Precision Medicine Infrastructure
In conversation with Dr. Videha Sharma, CEO of Fava Health, Sidharth discusses the future of precision medicine and the technology infrastructure needed.
Catalonia's openEHR CDR for 8 Million People
Catalonia wanted an openEHR Clinical Data Repository for 8 million people. Medblocks worked with IBM and vitagroup to design the sync layer for hospitals.
Couchbase x Medblocks - Building a NoSQL FHIR Server
We walk you through building a FHIR server on top of Couchbase's NoSQL database, covering challenges, technical decisions, architecture, and local setup.
Foundational openEHR: Archetype Classes and Lifecycle
Develop applications that suit your clinical needs with a deeper understanding of openEHR Archetype Classes and Clinical Knowledge Manager lifecycle.
Could FHIR Work as an Alternative to XDS?
Explore how FHIR compares to XDS in healthcare data sharing and what it means for interoperability between hospitals and clinics.
What Does FHIR Versioning Mean for Your Systems
Learn how FHIR uses semantic versioning to manage updates, ensure compatibility and support smooth transitions between healthcare data standards like R4 and R5.
FHIR Implementation Examples: Global Healthcare Adoption
Explore real-world FHIR implementation examples across the US, India and Saudi Arabia, including 21st Century Cures Act, ABDM and Nphies healthcare initiatives.
A History of HL7: From Terminals to APIs
A journey through 30 years of healthcare interoperability from costly 1980s interfaces to modern FHIR APIs following HL7's evolution to web-friendly resources.
4 Levels of Healthcare Interoperability with Real Examples
Understand the 4 levels of healthcare interoperability with practical examples. Learn how HIMSS, FHIR, HL7, SNOMED CT, LOINC & CMS support health data exchange.
GE HealthCare x Medblocks - Simplifying Cancer Care Decisions
Here we explore a real-world project we did with GE HealthCare, where we tackled the challenges of data normalization in oncology care.
EHR Sidecars and their History
EHR sidecars have a long history of filling gaps that core EHRs couldn't. Learn how sidecars started, evolved, and why they're still relevant today.
Interoperability Runs on Open Source, Not Standards
While open standards set the rules, open source gets the work done. Discuss choosing tools, handling semantics and making health systems interoperable.
Top 10 FHIR Developer Tools (2026): Build, Test & Validate
Stop drowning in FHIR docs. From HAPI FHIR & Simplifier to Inferno & validators - 10 tools that save hours. Covers servers, testing & profiling. Updated 2026.
12 Essential FHIR Resources Every Developer Should Know
Learn the 12 essential FHIR resources with practical examples. Understand Patient, Observation, Encounter, Medication, and other core healthcare resources.
Unified Patient Records from 16+ EMRs with MatchRite’s Common Data Engine
In episode 17 of Digital Health Hackers Podcast, Sidharth speaks to Christopher Jones, CEO of MatchRite Care, a patient-centered unified health record portal.
Three Ways to Build a FHIR Server: Facade, Sync & Hybrid
Explore three approaches to building RESTful FHIR servers: Facade, Synchronization, & Hybrid. Understand where REST APIs, Documents, and Messaging fit in FHIR.
Epic Patient App Distribution Using Automatic Client IDs
A step-by-step guide to deploying patient-facing FHIR apps on Epic using Automatic Client ID Distribution, including eligibility criteria, and production setup.
Building a FHIR-First EHR with Aidbox: Health Samurai CTO
Stop storing FHIR as JSON blobs. Health Samurai CTO Nikolai Ryzhikov explains how Aidbox uses FHIR as its internal model — with real SQL on live FHIR data.
How to Make Legacy EHR Systems FHIR-Compliant with Python
Learn to build a Python FHIR Facade using FastAPI and PostgreSQL to expose legacy EHR data as FHIR APIs supporting read search operations and interoperability
HAPI FHIR Java Tutorial: Build Real Healthcare Apps Fast
Already know Java? Now learn FHIR. Build, read, update & delete Patient resources using HAPI FHIR's fluent client. Working code included. Perfect for Java devs.
How to Work with FHIR REST APIs using Python
This guide explores performing real-world operations like creating, reading, updating, and deleting patient data on a FHIR Server using Python.
Announcing Medblocks openFHIR: An open-source engine that bridges openEHR and FHIR
Introducing openFHIR, an open-source bidirectional mapping engine converting between openEHR and FHIR standards. Built on FHIRConnect, Apache 2.0.
FHIR Questionnaire Item Types: Every Answer Type + JSON
Explore all FHIR Questionnaire item types: string, boolean, coding, date, quantity & more. Includes real JSON examples for each type. Essential for form builders.
openEHR vs FHIR: Compare Healthcare IT Standards
Compare openEHR, FHIR, HL7 V2, CDA, DICOM, OMOP, SNOMED CT and more with practical comparison tables, use cases and choose the right healthcare IT standard.
An Intuitive Guide to AQL (Archetype Query Language)
This article simplifies AQL (Archetype Query Language) by breaking it down into basic concepts with examples suitable for even beginner openEHR levels.
Host An Authenticated EHRbase Server In The Cloud In Under 15 Mins
This article provides a step-by-step guide to hosting an authenticated EHRbase server in the cloud and exposing its REST APIs over HTTPS using Traefik.
openEHR Archetypes & Templates: Two-Level Model Explained
Understand openEHR's two-level model: Archetypes define clinical concepts, Templates combine them for workflows. Covers CKM, ADL format & real examples. Clear guide.
Build a SMART on Epic App in React: OAuth2 + PKCE Tutorial
Code a full SMART on Epic patient app step-by-step. Covers PKCE, auth code flow, token exchange & Epic FHIR R4 API calls. Working React code included.
Build Your First FHIR App with AI: Step-by-Step Tutorial
Build your first FHIR healthcare application using Cursor AI, HAPI FHIR, SvelteKit, and TypeScript with this practical step-by-step tutorial for beginners.
FHIR Questionnaire vs Composition: Forms vs Documents?
Building clinical forms or discharge summaries in FHIR? Learn exactly when to use Questionnaire vs Composition — with a clear use-case breakdown. Stop confusing them.
Lessons from E-Patient Dave’s Journey and the Changes We Need
E-Patient Dave's journey highlights the power of patient data access, collaboration, and open standards like FHIR and openEHR in transforming healthcare.
How we Optimized Patient Search Speed by 90% Using Postgres Text Search
Leveraging PostgreSQL’s native full-text search, we cut query times from seconds to milliseconds, giving clinicians instant access to critical patient data.
World's First openEHR CDR for 8M People: Catalonia's Story
How Catalonia unified 29 EMR systems into one openEHR CDR for 8 million residents. Jordi Piera, Director of Digital Health Strategy, explains the strategy.
Designing for Doctors: A FHIR-Driven Approach to Patient Management That Clinicians Actually Use
See how Medblocks built FHIR-driven patient management system with intuitive workflows, helping doctors manage patients without EHR complexity or vendor lock-in.
FHIR Questionnaire Resource: Structure, QuestionnaireResponse & How It Works
Understand the FHIR Questionnaire resource from scratch, structure, item types, QuestionnaireResponse, and hands-on exploration using free NLM open-source tools.
Christian Chevalley on etherCIS3 & Healthcare Data Platforms
Explore Christian Chevalley's vision for etherCIS3, openEHR, PostgreSQL FDW, and modern healthcare data platforms that connect fragmented legacy systems.
How We Turned a Chaotic, High-Information-Density Interface into a Masterpiece of Functionality
Discover how Medblocks redesigned an EHR interface for ophthalmology, improving clinical workflows, data visualization, and faster access to patient information
Why We're Reinventing the EHR: The Modern Approach to Health Data Platforms
Discover why traditional EHRs fall short and how Medblocks combines health data platforms, open standards and extensible workflows to build healthcare software.
HAPI FHIR US Core Profile Validation: Fix the Silent Fail Bug
HAPI FHIR doesn't validate profiles by default — even with meta.profile set. Learn how to upload StructureDefinitions & enable validation via Docker env vars.
ERPNext Healthcare Setup Guide: From Demo to Production
Step-by-step guide to deploying ERPNext Healthcare on Kubernetes. Covers patient care, billing, lab modules & FHIR integration. Open-source. Production-ready.
How to Create an EHRbase Plugin with Spring Boot, JDBC and openEHR
Learn how to build an EHRbase plugin using Spring Boot, JDBC and openEHR. Intercept composition events, implement transactions and deploy custom plugins easily.
CDS Hooks Tutorial: Build a Working Service with Node.js
Build and test CDS Hooks service with Node.js. Learn Discovery endpoints, CDS Cards, patient-view hooks, ngrok setup, EHR integration, and real-world workflows.
HL7 CDS Hooks Explained: How EHRs Integrate Real-Time Clinical Decision Support
Learn how HL7 CDS Hooks lets EHRs call external APIs for real-time clinical alerts, covering drug interactions, pre-authorization, and quality measures. With code examples.
FHIR vs openEHR vs OMOP: Choosing the Right Health Standard
Compare FHIR, openEHR, and OMOP healthcare standards to understand their roles in clinical documentation, data exchange, interoperability, and health analytics.
FHIR Terminology Service: SNOMED, LOINC & ICD-10 Unified
Use one FHIR API to query SNOMED, LOINC & ICD-10. Learn CodeSystems, ValueSets, ConceptMaps & key operations like $lookup & $expand. Clear guide with examples.
Breaking Down the Healthcare Giant into 3 Distinct Business Models
Discover Clayton Christensen's 3 healthcare business models and learn how Solution Shops, VAP organizations and Facilitated Networks improve care delivery.
EMPI Explained: What It Is, How It Works & Why It Matters
Duplicate patient records cost lives. Learn how an EMPI fixes that with matching algorithms, blocking rules, and a single source of truth. Clear, practical guide.
Create a FHIR Patient Resource in Python | Beginner Guide
New to FHIR? Build your first Patient resource in Python using fhir.resources. Includes JSON schema, validation & VS Code setup. Step-by-step for beginners.
FHIR Implementation Paradigms: Global Case Studies
Explore FHIR REST, Documents, Messaging, Services, and Storage paradigms with global healthcare implementation examples and interoperability best practices.
Volume-Based to Value-Based Care Shift in India
Discover India’s transition from volume-based to value-based care through PM-JAY, bundled payments, outcome-based incentives, and digital health transformation.
Legacy EHR to FHIR Migration Using Debezium ETL Pipeline
Migrate legacy EHR data to FHIR using Debezium, Kafka, and ETL pipelines. Learn real-time data synchronization, transformation & scalable healthcare integration.
Healthcare Digitization: The Missing Piece Explained
Discover why medical transcription bridges the gap in healthcare digitization. Medblocks converts unstructured medical records into openEHR-compliant data.
Case Study - Implementing ABDM for the Government of Andhra Pradesh
Medblocks implemented all 3 ABDM milestones for Andhra Pradesh's Health Ministry, overcoming API, webhook, encryption, and FHIR transformation challenges.
ABDM Explained: India's Digital Health Infrastructure Guide
Learn how ABDM enables digital healthcare in India through ABHA Health IDs, interoperability, consent management, UHI, APIs and secure health data exchange.
How to Design openEHR Templates with Archetype Designer
Learn how to design openEHR templates using Archetype Designer, import CKM archetypes, apply constraints, and export reusable templates for healthcare systems.
How to Use openEHR Clinical Knowledge Manager: Complete Guide
Learn how to use the openEHR Clinical Knowledge Manager (CKM) to search, explore and download archetypes, templates and termsets for real-world implementations.
SNOMED CT Extensions Explained Complete Guide for Healthcare
Learn how SNOMED CT Extensions work, including namespaces, mappings, post-coordination, identifier rules, and real-world healthcare implementation examples.
Understanding openEHR Clinical Knowledge Manager in Healthcare
Learn how the openEHR Clinical Knowledge Manager (CKM) manages archetypes, templates, governance, collaboration, and interoperability across healthcare systems.
SMART on FHIR App Launch Flows: OAuth 2.0, PKCE & EHR Launches
Learn how SMART on FHIR app launches work, including standalone and EHR launches, OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, PKCE, scopes, launch context, and app registration.
What is Simple Refset in SNOMED CT? Complete Developer Guide
Learn what a Simple Refset in SNOMED CT is, how they work, their structure, terminology server usage, implementation examples, and real healthcare use cases.
CMS Patient Access Rule Explained: FHIR APIs & Compliance
Learn how the CMS Interoperability and Patient Access Final Rule mandates HL7 FHIR APIs for patient access, provider directories & payer-to-payer data exchange.
SMART on FHIR Backend Authentication: Symmetric vs Asymmetric
Implement SMART on FHIR backend authentication with OAuth2. Learn client credentials, symmetric secrets, asymmetric keys, JWT assertions & JWK setup for EHR API.
How CMS & ONC Are Driving FHIR Adoption in US Healthcare
Learn how CMS and ONC interoperability rules are driving FHIR adoption. Explore SMART on FHIR, APIs, patient access, and healthcare data exchange standards.
The Story of Medblocks: Building Healthcare Interoperability
Discover how Medblocks evolved from blockchain into a healthcare interoperability platform using FHIR, openEHR and open standards to simplify digital health.
Case study - Global Portable Health Clinic
PHC system by Kyushu University & Grameen Communications uses eHealth and telemedicine, integrates openEHR and FHIR, serving 45,000+ patients since 2010.
SNOMED CT Browser Guide: ECL, MRCM, FSN & Semantic Tags
Master the SNOMED CT Browser: search concepts, read FSNs, filter by semantic tags, run ECL queries & validate with MRCM. Includes ECL short-form gotcha. Clear guide.
Introducing Medblocks UI
Medblocks UI, open-source alternative to Better EHR Studio for auto-generating forms from openEHR templates, now available under Apache 2 license.
Set Up SNOMED CT Terminology Server Using Hermes & Docker
Learn how to set up a SNOMED CT terminology server using Hermes & Docker. Import RF2 releases, build indexes, deploy searchable terminology APIs for healthcare
Case Study - Vijay Williams Covid Care, India
Dr. Sidharth and team developed a Covid care application for Dr. Sunil Gokavi's facility during the second wave, enhancing patient data analysis.
Frontend Frameworks - Why you should reconsider
Exploring web components for front-end development, moving from Vue to Svelte for Medblocks UI, focusing on lit-html for framework-independent UI.