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Launch HN: Metriport (YC S22) – Open-source API for healthcare data exchange

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61–70 of 103 posts

Re: Launch HN: Metriport (YC S22) – Open-source API for healthcare data exchange

#61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What're you working on in specific? Can help provide clarification if you're able to describe the use case.

Agent-based healthcare concierge basically (agents constantly trawling literature for ways to optimize your health, doing scheduling/appointments for you, moving data to new doctors when needed, etc.) Thinking is: this was a massive tar pit in the past, new interop laws and AI tooling makes it possible now.

Health optimization based on literature searches is a fool's errand. A certain niche segment of the "worried well" is constantly reading studies (often of questionable quality) and chasing marginal gains with the latest drugs, supplements, recovery modalities, or whatever. Meanwhile they still have poor sleep hygiene, insufficient exercise, and unresolved emotional problems. Major in the major, minor in the minor.

Those other agent features could be useful, though.

Re: Launch HN: Metriport (YC S22) – Open-source API for healthcare data exchange

#62
post #60

Is there/do you plan on creating in foreseeable future post mortem of the tracking app beyond the note on your reddit?

Very sad to see this company greedy move. From an excellent unique B2C app which could have got an excellent future, to a B2B API. Worst thing is that they ignored the loyal users and they didn’t say anything about the future of the app or cared about the people who already paid

I wouldn't blame anyone for deciding that the point of a company is to maximize shareholder value, especially here, but that's not what I mean at all.

There's a lot of similar apps, people seem to use and like all of them, I'm just curious how it looked from the inside of this one.

Re: Launch HN: Metriport (YC S22) – Open-source API for healthcare data exchange

#63
post #57

Where I live we have a centralized system run by government that all healthcare providers are required to integrate with. You can access & manage all your data & healthcare history from a single location, for free. I know this wouldn't fly in the US, but it is a very convenient system for people.

I guess it's somewhere in the EU?

OmaKanta-system in Finland is an example of such.

Re: Launch HN: Metriport (YC S22) – Open-source API for healthcare data exchange

#64
post #63
post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess it's somewhere in the EU?

OmaKanta-system in Finland is an example of such.

Also healthcare providers must ask for consent if they want to access your OmaKanta.

Re: Launch HN: Metriport (YC S22) – Open-source API for healthcare data exchange

#65

While any XSLT/XML based interface can act as middle-ware for such a messy ecosystem. There are several problems with touching medical data: 1. Some governments require ISO certifications for security 2. Some standards bodies require commercial accountability (FDA), data site redundancy, and company inspection by a standards body. 3. The ecosystem for the insurance documentation is never open source. It is not only p…

In principle XSLT can be used to convert between HL7 V2 Messaging, CDA, and FHIR formats. I have actually done this to an extent. But it's a huge mess and difficult to maintain or even understand. Most implementers have now moved on to other technologies for healthcare data mapping and transformation. And format conversions are only one minor piece of the interoperability puzzle.

The standards bodies in the clinical interoperability space aren't accountable to the FDA (although the FDA is a registered organizational member of HL7 and contributes to standards development as a peer to other members). Services like Metriport aren't FDA regulated medical devices. The standards bodies don't inspect implementers.

There are open source libraries for dealing with the data formats used for interactions between providers and health plans (insurers), primarily ASC X12N and NCPDP. The standards documents themselves are somewhat expensive. But Metriport doesn't appear to be playing in that space so it's a moot issue.

Re: Launch HN: Metriport (YC S22) – Open-source API for healthcare data exchange

#66
post #63
post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess it's somewhere in the EU?

OmaKanta-system in Finland is an example of such.

OmaKanta is nice but these days it costs tens of thousands of euros for app developer to be compatible due to the high certification costs.

Re: Launch HN: Metriport (YC S22) – Open-source API for healthcare data exchange

#67

Where I live we have a centralized system run by government that all healthcare providers are required to integrate with. You can access & manage all your data & healthcare history from a single location, for free. I know this wouldn't fly in the US, but it is a very convenient system for people.

We are working towards that right now in the US at more of the state/regional level. In fact, NYS is providing funding for all of Western New York to move to an integrated EMR, which is looking like it will be Epic. My current director will actually be one of the project leads.

Re: Launch HN: Metriport (YC S22) – Open-source API for healthcare data exchange

#68
post #65

While any XSLT/XML based interface can act as middle-ware for such a messy ecosystem. There are several problems with touching medical data: 1. Some governments require ISO certifications for security 2. Some standards bodies require commercial accountability (FDA), data site redundancy, and company inspection by a standards body. 3. The ecosystem for the insurance documentation is never open source. It is not only p…

In principle XSLT can be used to convert between HL7 V2 Messaging, CDA, and FHIR formats. I have actually done this to an extent. But it's a huge mess and difficult to maintain or even understand. Most implementers have now moved on to other technologies for healthcare data mapping and transformation. And format conversions are only one minor piece of the interoperability puzzle. The standards bodies in the clinical…

Interesting, up north the ISO 13485 certification etc. is required to even deploy an App, as your phone would be considered a medical device under the rules if used for diagnostics and or reporting.

Don't get me wrong, I am sure people have no issue paying the $84k each release cycle to be cleared as compliant. Notably, our health authority legally can't buy software without these certifications, and for the past 6 years only Microsoft offers a framework through their partner for the e-records exchange systems.

There is zero "open" anything in this ecosystem, as commercial insurance won't cover mystery commits.

Best of luck, =)

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