Blog

Hello HL7 community, we’ve decided to give the old HL7-Definition reference website its well-deserved retirement. We’re now proud to introduce the new and improved HL7-Definition V2 website.

We’ve been asking for your feedback for the last few months, and for a good reason :-). By popular demand, we’ve included some new features, including: 

More detailed specification descriptions
Standard HTTPS, removing the need to use custom ports
A more convenient and user-friendly search feature
Improved overall performance
Mobile friendly

Coming soon

Offline support
Message decoder – See field names in [...]

DIAGRAM EDITOR

There is a new module, called Diagram Editor. This module replaces the current Interface View and includes many requested features such as:

Create and share multiple diagrams
Add metadata for dataflow endpoints
Reconnect a dataflow to a new system
Insert a new system in an existing dataflow
Set a display name for systems
View your systems and dataflow as a grid
Enhanced dataflow discovery (Connectors)

MESSAGING HL7-V3

Introducing new modules for CDA/CCD/XML messaging.

De-identification
Edit and Validate
Search and Filter

FRAMEWORK

Added “CCD – Continuity of Care” Conformance Profile
Export any grid’s content as [...]

Have a wonderful holiday season and wishing you the best for 2014!

Caristix release 3.2 is a broad release of additional features through the range of Caristix products from Workgroup through the individual HL7 modules, Cloak, Conformance, Pinpoint and Test.  We’ve put some additional focus on Test as we continue to add features that accelerate test creation and test execution to help you get your interfaces into production faster.

Workgroup
New HL7 Messaging Feature

Support file drag-and-drop in the Message Gap to quickly compare message files

New DeId Features

Preformat the source value of a generator or [...]

The Status Quo

This is the world interface analysts, developers, and quality testers work in:

2 weeks to get a list of code values for a single field
1 week to get a list of custom field formats like lab order codes
20 hours to code a schema in an engine from a spec in Excel
9 days on gap analysis
30 days to test a 10-minute code change
8 versions of a spec before it’s baked enough for development

Productivity with Caristix

With our software, especially with the [...]

A 16-minute Introduction to Caristix Workgroup: Part Six

We’re wrapping up our Introduction to Workgroup with Part 6 (1:30 minutes) We designed this demo webinar to give you a bird’s-eye view of Workgroup software. And we’ve covered a lot in a short 16 minutes, demonstrating just how comprehensive Workgroup truly is.

In the wrap-up, you’ll learn:

the key business reason why analysts and developers need more than ad-hoc tools to deliver interoperability
what enables better customer collaboration
why Workgroup

We’re open to any and all feedback [...]

A 16-minute Introduction to Caristix Workgroup: Part Five

When you work with patient data, you need to be vigilant about protecting privacy. Caristix Workgroup software covers the critical concern of removing PHI from HL7 data. The de-identification capabilities in Workgroup let you remove protected health information from production data and replace patient names, identifiers, and related data with either blanks or dummy data. This means the message flow looks and acts like realistic data with all customizations, Z-segments, and non-standard field [...]

A 16-minute Introduction to Caristix Workgroup: Part Four

Ready for the next piece of our 16-minute webinar on Caristix Workgroup? Learn what Workgroup can do for you and your team to prevent costly project reworks and delays. Save time and dollars by removing the major bottleneck that testing often becomes.

In Part 4 (2 minutes), you’ll learn:

 All about using your workflow to drive validation
How to generate hundreds of test messages automatically
How one-step setup can save hours of testing time

Missed the first three [...]

A 16-minute Introduction to Caristix Workgroup: Part Three

Not much time? That’s why we’re offering our 16-minute webinar on Caristix Workgroup Software in small easy-to-consume pieces for quick viewing.

In Part 3 (3 minutes), we introduce you to:

The documentation strengths of Caristix Workgroup software
Automatic Gap Analysis, for easy mapping table creation

In case you missed the first two parts:

In Part 1  (4-minutes), we introduced you to Workgroup , what exactly it is and why and who we designed it for.

In Part 2 (4-minutes), [...]

A 16-minute Introduction to Caristix Workgroup: Part Two

We know you’re busy. That’s why we’re offering our 16-minute webinar on Caristix Workgroup Software in bite-sized pieces for quick consumption.

In Part 1 (4-minutes), we introduced you to Workgroup, what exactly it is and why and who we designed it for.

In Part 2 (4-minutes) of the Introduction to Workgroup Webinar, we take a deeper dive into Workgroup functionality. You’ll see:

 Scoping – why it’s the most important phase
 How to reduce the time needed for [...]

A 16- minute Introduction to Caristix Workgroup Software

We’ve just developed a quick on-demand webinar that gives you the opportunity to take a bird’s-eye view of Caristix Workgroup software. See just what Workgroup can do for you and your specific teams and their projects.

No time for a full 60-minute webinar? Is 30 minutes too much? We get how busy interfacing team members are. That’s why made this a 16-minute Webinar.

In 16 minutes, you’ll learn what Workgroup is and what it can [...]

Announcing Caristix Converters

We gave you a sneek peak at our new Caristix technology, converters, in a previous blog post, Cutting Interface Costs, Continued. In this blog post, we discussed a big area where interface costs are extremely high: migrating from a legacy interface engine to a newer engine technology.

We had several customers tell us that out connectors were saving them a lot of programming time. But was there a way to use the connectors to migrate their interfaces? Now, there [...]

Are you just getting started with Caristix software? Or do you need a refresh on functionality you haven’t used in a while?

We’re launching a video tutorial series for Caristix users. The series prepares you to use Workgroup to cover the entire interface lifecycle: scoping, configuration, testing, go-live, maintenance, and upgrades. The series will walk you step-by-step  through loading HL7 data to output a spec and interface requirements, setting up validation testing, de-identifying messages, and much more. This week we’re kicking [...]

A sneak peek at new Caristix technology

A few weeks ago, we published an article on the cost of interfaces. We’ve also ranted a little, and you — readers here, on LinkedIn, and elsewhere — responded with a great discussion. A big area where interfaces cost way too much: migrating from a legacy interface engine to newer engine technology.

Imagine what you could do if you could remove the manual work.

Well, we’re putting our money where our mouth is. We’re developing a [...]

Workgroup
Bug fixes

Several corrections to the HL7 v2.7 reference profile

Enhancements

Sort, Create New Folder, and Refresh Library are available through a right-click contextual menu from the blank area in Document Library.
In the Gap Analysis Workbench, the tree view behavior is now simpler. There are two basic states (unselected and selected with child nodes) and one advanced state (selected without child nodes). To select a node without its children, use SHIFT+click or the right-click menu.
In the Profile Editor, Data Distribution now lets you [...]

Here’s Our Quick Take on What’s Coming Up in 2014

 Meaningful Use Stage 2 and ICD-10 implementation are going to be big headaches for providers and resource drains for vendors. No big surprise here but it needed to be said.
Big data and clinical analytics are going to get more serious and less hype-y. In their recent survey of 555 healthcare professionals, IBM reported that two thirds of the organizations in both developed and emerging markets consider analytics a priority and have an analytics [...]

Have a wonderful holiday season and wishing you the best for 2014!

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Information for Cloak and Workgroup Users

With our recent v2.8 update, we made the default de-identification rules more robust. You’ll need to add fewer rules manually. But this means your default de-id rules are going to look different than previous versions. Here are some answers to some of the questions you might have.

What’s the change?

Unlike older versions, there is no single default de-id rule file. Default de-id rules are now HL7-version-based and will adjust to whatever HL7 v2.x version you pick [...]

Here’s how it starts:

Are HL7 interfaces becoming more important or less important with the push for interoperability and the popularity of integrated hospital systems?

HL7 interfaces are becoming more important than ever. Interoperability matters because information has to flow in order to improve patient outcomes, reduce error, reduce costs, and remove duplicate testing. Despite the popularity of integrated systems, much of the data in hospitals, physician practices, and other organizations is still siloed.

ICD-10 computer-assisted coding systems need interfaces. HIEs rely on [...]

This dot release contains several new features and enhancement requests.

Caristix Users

To access v2.8, simply go to the Help menu, and click Check for Updates. Follow the on-screen instructions to update your software.

Workgroup

Drag & Drop files directly to the Document Library. A usability enhancement that allows you add Caristix files (profiles, gap analyses, test scenarios, etc.) and documents in Excel, Word, PDF, etc to the library for easier sharing and updating.
Filter differences in Gap Analysis (filter on grid). Set up filters [...]

No-brainer Message Player buttons

Message Player, our free HL7 listener/router utility designed for HIT software developers, interface developers, and interface analysts, is now out.

You might have seen other HL7 listeners and routers out there. What makes Message Player different is that it’s dead-easy to use. There are no bells and whistles. It’s independent of other software and engines, so once you’ve downloaded the installation package, you can run it on a desktop machine and get going quickly.

Why Use Message Player

first [...]

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and New Year!

We’re happy to announce that Caristix has made the list of Top 25 Up and Comers among Canadian ICT companies. Check out the Top 25 list here.

The list is part of the Branham300 list, which has been tracking and ranking IT and tech firms within Canada for the past 20 years. The list is widely considered to be a leading source of intelligence on Canada’s ICT industry.

Caristix is in great company on the list, which includes some of the hottest [...]

If you’re going to be at Interconnected Health 2012 (April 2-4) in Chicago, check out the session with Jean-Luc Morin, VP R&D here at Caristix. Jean-Luc’s session is on Monday, April 2. He’ll be talking about HL7 integration and how to move from trial and error to predictable project outcomes.

Jean-Luc’s presentation will introduce the concept of Interface Lifecycle Management, which covers 7 key stages that every healthcare organization goes through when they implement interfaces. These stages include scoping, configuration, validation, [...]

Agent de support au service technique

Nous ouvrons un poste, basé à Québec, pour notre nouveau service technique. Les responsabilités de notre unité technique sont multiples et variées chez Caristix. Le terme « unité technique » convient d’ailleurs mieux à cette unité d’élite. Nous cherchons un collègue bien particulier, qui soit avant tout prêt à s’impliquer dans la réalité d’une entreprise en démarrage, quelqu’un que le terme « start-up » ne rende pas anxieux !

Les tâches de notre nouveau collègue seront [...]

Technical Support Rep

We’re looking for a full-time, Quebec City-based support rep. This isn’t your typical tech and/or sales support position. We’re seeking one very special individual: first and foremost, someone who gets startup life and loves it. This special someone also gets product management and the voice of the customer.

Your days will be varied. You might be demoing to prospects one day, troubleshooting with a customer the next, and delivering in-depth training the following week. And throughout it all, you’ll [...]

Stéphane Vigot, Caristix co-founder and president, is presenting today at the International Startup Festival, a new conference on the business of startups. He’ll be pitching to investors, media, and thought leaders from all over.

We’re thrilled to have this opportunity. Caristix is among 12 finalists, who were picked from over 120 applicants from around the world. Startup and tech blog Next Montreal profiled all 12 finalists over the past few days. Read about the other finalists here.

We think it promises to [...]

We’ve just released Test v1.18, Caristix software for testing HL7 interfaces. This release includes two new features.

Database Connection Library

Caristix Test now includes a library for your database connections. This helps you manage multiple database connections more easily. Rather than configuring the connection each time you change databases, simply select a pre-configured connection from a list.

New HL7 Message Formats

Outbound HL7 message tasks can now send content in HL7-ER7 or HL7-XML formats.

Feedback Link

All Caristix applications now include a feedback link (support@caristix.com) under [...]

Wishing you a happy, healthy, and joyous holiday season and New Year!

I was in Philadelphia this week for the 2nd Annual Canada-US eHealth Summit (PDF). Now, this wasn’t a big conference like HIMSS. But it was a great opportunity to break open our silos and share knowledge and stories across the border. Plus, we got to hear from a handful of respected HIT leaders, including John Glaser, CEO of Siemens HIT, and David Levine, head of a major Canadian regional health agency.

Here are 15 highlights from the presentations.

Ripped from the headlines: [...]

First of all, a big thank-you goes out to all the folks who signed up for our beta. Because of your input, our products are a lot more useful and a whole lot more compelling than a few months back.

Betas Are Good For Branding and Messaging, Too

Our beta users provided great feedback on user workflows and functionality, which we incorporated into this release. They also delivered a healthy pipeline of enhancement requests. Plus we identified (and fixed) bugs.

We also got [...]

Caristix Launches HL7 Integration Management Software for Healthcare Vendors and Hospital IT Teams

HL7 Interface analysts and engineers eliminate time-consuming manual work to leave more time to bridge healthcare data gaps through interface engines, HIEs, and more.

Quebec City, Canada, November 5, 2010 — Caristix, an HL7 integration software company serving healthcare vendors and providers, today announced the release of new software designed for interface analysts and engineers. Caristix™ Conformance and Caristix™ Test software help close information gaps before work begins on [...]

Hello and welcome to the new Caristix blog! In this first post, we’ll cover a little background about what you can expect from this blog. And we’ll introduce the people who’ll be writing here.

HL7 Is Where It’s At

We’ll be covering interfaces, integration, and interoperability in healthcare information technology. Topics will include:

software development and testing. What makes healthcare so different? We’ll be talking about that.
HL7 interface scoping and configuration. HL7 is all about configurability. Which is why… Every. Single. Implementation. Is. [...]