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.
FHIR Articles
We believe healthcare deserves better software. Follow our journey building open infrastructure for the future of health.
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.
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.
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.
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.
How Is FHIR Being Used Around the World
Curious how FHIR is used and who’s adopting it? Here are real-world examples of how FHIR is reshaping healthcare across the globe.
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.
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 FHIR Resources Everyone Should Know
In this article we’re breaking down the 12 most essential FHIR resources you need to know when starting out.
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 and other health IT standards
Health IT has various standards, and choosing the right one is often confusing. Understand the differences clearly to select the right standard.
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.
How to build your first FHIR application using AI in 30 minutes
With LLMs and AI coding tools, building healthcare apps is no longer just for seasoned programmers. An introduction to building FHIR web apps 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.
Designing for Doctors: A FHIR-Driven Approach to Patient Management That Clinicians Actually Use
Explore Medblocks' patient management solution powered by FHIR APIs, optimizing hospital workflows with user-centered design and vendor-neutral approach.
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.
Why We're Reinventing the EHR
Traditional healthcare software development has significant drawbacks. A platform with standardized features and extensible features might be the right answer.
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.
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.
Which Health IT Standard to Pick: FHIR, openEHR, or OMOP?
Each domain has its own best-suited standard: FHIR, openEHR, and OMOP respectively. There's an art to picking the standard for the data use case.
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.
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.
Exploring FHIR Paradigms: Case Studies Across the Globe
FHIR boosts healthcare data exchange, linking clinical, admin, and research via EHR, REST, Documents, Messages, and Services.
Migrating Legacy Data to FHIR at scale using ETL's
ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) moves data from legacy systems to FHIR, using Apache Debezium and Nifi for syncing databases in FHIR format.
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.
CMS Interoperability and Patient Access Final Rule
CMS's Patient Access Rule mandates HL7 FHIR API for data access, provider directory, payer-to-payer exchange, and daily federal-state data exchanges.
SMART on FHIR Backend Auth: Symmetric vs Asymmetric Guide
No user interaction needed. Learn both symmetric & asymmetric SMART on FHIR auth - OAuth2 client credentials, JWT assertions & JWK setup. Practical walkthrough.
FHIR poised to gain center stage in the US
FHIR leads healthcare interoperability, enabling secure data exchange. CMS/ONC initiatives like Blue Button 2.0 and BCDA utilize FHIR for Medicare data.