HL7 Integration Engine Vendor Evaluation Template
| HHIC Weighting Factor |
Vendor #1 | Weighted Score |
Vendor #2 | Weighted Score |
Vendor #3 | Weighted Score |
Vendor #4 | Weighted Score |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scalability | |||||||||
| Ability to support 100% of transaction volumes | 2 | ||||||||
| Infrastructure | 2 | ||||||||
| Can handle future message types at no additional cost | 4 | ||||||||
| TOTAL | 8 | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | ||||
| Web Monitoring | |||||||||
| Remote access | 3 | ||||||||
| Error handling | 4 | ||||||||
| TOTAL | 7 | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | ||||
| Filtering Ability | |||||||||
| Remotely | 2 | ||||||||
| Locally | 4 | ||||||||
| TOTAL | 6 | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | ||||
| Support/Maintenance/Upgrades/Backup | |||||||||
| Customer support | 4 | ||||||||
| Backup | 3 | ||||||||
| Ease of upgrading/timing of patches | 3 | ||||||||
| TOTAL | 10 | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | ||||
| Security/Transport | |||||||||
| VPN | 4 | ||||||||
| TCP/IP | 3 | ||||||||
| FTP | 3 | ||||||||
| TOTAL | 10 | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | ||||
| Usability and Functionality | |||||||||
| LOINC matching (mapping code sets) | 4 | ||||||||
| Use of lookup tables | 4 | ||||||||
| Translation across HL7 formats | 4 | ||||||||
| TOTAL | 12 | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | ||||
| Capital Costs (3 years) | |||||||||
| Initial price | 4 | ||||||||
| Hardware | 3 | ||||||||
| Maintenance fee | 3 | ||||||||
| TOTAL | 10 | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | ||||
| Resource/Skill Set Availability / Manpower | |||||||||
| Few outside consultants needed | 4 | ||||||||
| Little programming required | 4 | ||||||||
| In-house development benefits company | 4 | ||||||||
| TOTAL | 12 | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | ||||
| Technology Direction | |||||||||
| Technology set has at least a 3 year shelf life | 3 | ||||||||
| Message handling | 4 | ||||||||
| Compatibility with systems | 3 | ||||||||
| TOTAL | 10 | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | ||||
| Outside Recommendations | |||||||||
| Ease of Use/Setup/Configuration | 3 | ||||||||
| Customer support | 3 | ||||||||
| Product functionality | 4 | ||||||||
| TOTAL | 10 | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | ||||
| Ease of Installation | |||||||||
| Server setup | 4 | ||||||||
| Remote location (virtual) setup | 2 | ||||||||
| TOTAL | 6 | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | ||||
| Proof of Concept | |||||||||
| Import/parse/filter messages | 13 | ||||||||
| System setup/connections /configurations | 11 | ||||||||
| TOTAL | 24 | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | ||||
| Favorability Rating | 125 | ||||||||
Ranking value = 1-5 (5 being the highest)
Definitions for HL7 Evaluation/Assessment
| Scalability | – The ability of the system, network, or process, to handle growing amounts of work/volume |
| Ability to support 100% of transaction volumes | – Platform capacity for hundreds of thousands of HL7 messages |
| Infrastructure | – Hardware, traffic, volume, capacity, uptime, inventory |
| Can handle future message types at no additional cost | – HL7, ADT, ORM, ORU, XML, ADT, NCPDP, X12, DICOM, UB92, HCFA, ASTM, EDIFACT |
| Web Monitoring | – Each TCP server communication point monitors a specific port |
| Remote access | – Remote web server and website monitoring with alerts via SMS, e-mail, or phone |
| Error handling | – Data error handling, field variables, session time-out |
| Filtering Ability | – Represents various ways of transforming a message within the interface engine |
| Remotely | – Connection can be implemented as a filter to modify a message received from an external system (such as code translation) |
| Locally | – Mapping filter converts one message structure to another |
| Support/Maintenance/Upgrades/Backup | |
| Customer support (hours, methods, costs) | – Company is responsive and replies quickly |
| Backup and recovery on interface | – Configuration files can be backed up in less than 30 minutes |
| Ease and timeliness of upgrades | – Patches are timely and work/hot patches used as needed |
| Security/Transport | |
| VPN | – Virtual Private Networks |
| TCP/IP | – Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol |
| FTP | – FTP/S (File Transfer Protocol) and HTTP/S file transfers |
| Usability and Functionality | – Customizable specific dictionaries/schema |
| LOINC matching (mapping code sets) | – Message crosswalk to HL7 fields |
| Ease of use/setup/configuration changes | – Not hard to set up/Allows configuration changes |
| Use of lookup tables | – Cross reference data elements used by one or more applications |
| Capital Costs (3 years) | Software only, does not include manpower |
| Initial price | – Main interface engine |
| Hardware | – Server, storage, etc. |
| Maintenance fee | – 20% is the standard. Comparison should include maintenance fees for all components |
| Resource/Skill Set Availability/Manpower | – Resources are available or need to be contracted |
| Few outside resources needed | – Writing/queries of the test catalog/HL7 messages (dependent on mapping) |
| In-house development benefits company | – Support on education online, WebEx or LOINC tutorials (in person or online); or self-education via LOINC User's Guide |
| Technology Direction | – Future technology direction in regard to standards |
| Technology set has at least a 3 year shelf life | – Will handle requirements for the life of the grant |
| Message handling | – Message definitions for unique messages, future changes, compatibility |
| Compatibility with systems | – Works with existing setup |
| Outside Recommendations | – Companies that already installed |
| Ease of use/setup/configuration | – Not hard to set up/allows configuration changes |
| Customer support | – Returns calls and offer helpful suggestions |
| Product functionality | – Including connectivity, HL7 message translation/mapping/routing/storing |
| Ease of Installation | – Not hard to setup/allows configuration changes |
| Server setup | – Server space, hardware and software requirements |
| Remote (virtual) setup | – Remote desktop/server access and setup |
| Proof of Concept | |
| See “HL7 Interface Demonstration” | |
| Internet Citation: HL7 Integration Engine Vendor Evaluation Template Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP). August 2014. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/datainnovations/clinicalcontentenhancementtoolkit/hi8.jsp. |
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| Last modified 8/19/14 |
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