What Are the Primary Benefits of HL7 V2 versus HL7 V3?
October 5th, 2006 by Dave Shaver
(7 votes, average: 3.71 out of 5)
Loading ...Posted in HL7 Terms, HL7 Standards
In HL7 messaging, there are different HL7 standards from which to choose. HL7 terms like V2 and V3 are often used. Outlined below are the benefits of each of these HL7 standards.
HL7 V2 Benefits:
- Reflects the complex “everyone is special” world of healthcare
- Much less expensive to build HL7 interfaces compared to custom interfaces
- Provides 80 percent of the interface and a framework to negotiate the remaining 20 percent on an interface-by-interface basis
- Historically built in an ad hoc way, allowing the most critical areas to be defined first
- Generally provides compatibility between 2.X versions
HL7 V3
- More of a “true standard” and less of a “framework for negotiation”
- Model-based standard provides consistency across entire standard
- Application roles well defined
- Much less message optionality
- Less expensive to build and maintain mid-to-long term interfaces
- Many decades of effort over ten year period reflecting “best and brightest” thinking
Learn more about the HL7 standards, including HL7 v3, with an in-depth white paper entitled The Evolution of HL7 (long version).
Last 5 posts by Dave Shaver
- Integrating EMRs with Reference Labs - September 3rd, 2008
- Massachusetts Hospitals Must Have CPOE by 2012 and CCHIT-Certified EHRs by 2015 - August 13th, 2008
- HL7 Dates and Times - July 25th, 2008
- HL7 Time Zone Qualification - July 25th, 2008
- RHIOs vs. Peer-to-Peer Communications - July 11th, 2008
