HL7 Data Model Development

This is the main entry point for access to HL7 Information Models. The currently active models are the HL7 Reference Information Model (RIM) and the HL7 Version 3 Meta-Model for the Message Development Framework. (Selected other models have been retained for reference.)

Current Model Archives

 

HL7 Reference Model

 

HL7 Meta-Model (Methodology & Modeling)

Model Archive Structure Documentation
This document describes the Naming Conventions that are used in these model archives and the purpose and content of each section.

 

Naming Conventions

 

Archive Contents Description

Development Process Instructions

Submission of models to these pages is controlled by the Methodology and Modeling Committee through the HL7 RIM Harmonization process. Persons seeking to post related models should contact the co-chairs of that committee.

HL7 Development Tools

HL7 Tools Delivery and Development Site

HL7 Volunteers have created a powerful suite of tools to support the development of HL7 standards and the information models that underlie them.  This activity is currently being supported by a CVS version control system and a G-Forge project management site supported by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.  Access to the site and to the tools/project catalog are linked below.

 

Tooling & Project Management in HL7 G-Forge

 

HL7 Tool and Project Catalog

HL7 Tooling Applications and Tutorials

Prior to September 2006, the primary access to HL7 Applications was through links on this web-site.  These links have been maintained below, for the time being.

 

Applications

 

V3 Tutorials

 

Model-File Naming Conventions


The names of the models identify the status of development.

The following coding is used for the model names:

DDDVVVVT

DDD - Domain. Each domain has its own page, and set of models.

Defined domains:

  • RIM - The harmonized HL7 Reference Information Model
  • MET - Methodology & Modeling (Version 3 meta-model)

VVVV - HL7 Version - a four-digit sequence. 

T - Type. This refers to the types of files available on the models page. Defined types are:

  • a - Archive, an Access 97 database in the HL7 tools format for an archive. Contains all HL7 models from RIM 0.80 through the current release. The format is not conducive to general browsing.
  • c - Composite, a ZIP file of ALL of the other ZIP files in this list.
  • d - Database, the model stored in an Access 2000 database. The tables are in the HL7 repository format. It can be reviewed on its own or using the HL7 tools.
  • f - Difference, a set of tables in an Excel spreadsheet that shows the differences between the current version of the RIM and its immediate predecessor. If this release is a technical correction, the DIFF tables for the previous version are also included. This provides a complete picture of changes since the last Working Group Meeting.
  • g - Graphics, a set of files in Excel, Visio and WMF format that contain the graphic expressions for the model.
  • n - Notes, complete notes from the RIM harmonization meeting that reviewed the changes that are incorporated in this model
  • r - readMe, notes about this version of the model and the files that are posted here.
  • t - Rose tool, the complete model as an MDL file suitable for loading into Rational Rose 4.0.3 or higher.
  • The following types are available only for "recent" RIM versions (somewhere around 1.20 and later):

o           x - XML representation of the RIM and of the vocabulary content in the current model

o           i - XMI representation of the RIM

  • The following types were available for RIMs published before 2001, but have been discontinued in favor of the renditions published with each Ballot and Edition:

o         h - HTML, an expression of the model in HTML format for review with a browser.

o         l - Literary, a literary (textual) expression of the model in a Word RTF file format.

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Model Archives Contents Description

This archive of Data Models for HL7 consists of multiple files expressing the HL7 RIM, the HL7 V3 Meta-Model and their immediate predecessor versions. The historic archives contain the intermediate Models that were contructed by various HL7 Technical Committees prior to the first release of the RIM.

Each file set is built around a series of files that provide for browsing the model from your Web browser or downloading various files to your system. Several of these files are ZIP files - "archives" that contain compressed versions of one or more other files. The contents of the ZIP files may be extracted using PKUNZIP, WINZIP, or any of several Macintosh archiving tools.

For each model in the archives, the following offerings are presented.

Browse the Literary Expression in HTML

Provides a hypertext linked textual expression of the model that can be browsed with a Netscape browser. (Other browsers may fail to display the later parts of the model - those classes whose names are far down in the alphabet.) The best way to learn the links is to try them. These files are large (over 100,000 bytes).

Download one or more files

These include:

1.      Rose Tool Model Files - are the files used by the Rational Rose object modeling tool. These files will be of little use without the tool. (ZIPped)

2.      Literary Expression File - is a Word RTF document file that expresses the full content of the model in a standardized expression. (ZIPped)

3.      Graphical Expression Files - various files of type .wmf (Windows Meta File) that contain the diagrams of the object models. These can be viewed and printed by importing them into Word or various graphics programs such as PowerPoint. (ZIPped)

4.      Model Repository File - contains an Access Database (*.mdb) that holds the model definition. This representation is a relational database with tables like "Classes", "Attributes", etc. The database is structured according to the meta-model specified in HL7 Message Development Framework.

5.      HTML Expression Files - contains the same file that is browsed under option A. Downloading it will allow you to browse it while you are not connected to the Web. (ZIPped)

6.      View ReadMe File - displays a text file containing basic descriptive information about this particular model. (.TXT file)

7.      Zipped Composite of all Files - as its name implies is a single (LARGE) ZIP file containing all of the contents of 1 through 5 above. (ZIPped).

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