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Key Differences Between HL7 V2 and V3

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In the HL7 Standard, there are two versions that people think of – Version 2 (V2) and Version 3 (V3). Outlined below are some of the differences between V2 and V3.

HL7 V2

  • Not “Plug and Play” – it 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 because no other standard existed at the time
  • Generally provides compatibility between 2.X versions
  • Messaging-based standard built upon pipe and hat encoding
  • In the U.S., V2 is what most people think of when people say “HL7”

HL7 V3

  • Approaching “Plug and Play” – less of a “framework for negotiation”
  • Many decades of effort over ten year period reflecting “best and brightest” thinking
  • NOT backward compatible with V2
  • Model-based standard built upon Reference Information Model (RIM) provides consistency across entire standard
  • In the U.S., when Clinical Document Architecture (CDA) is what most people in the U.S. think of when people say “HL7 V3”

Learn more about preparing for HL7 V3 or more about the HL7 standards, including HL7 V3, through an in-depth white paper entitled The Evolution of HL7 (PDF).

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David Li

David Li is an Implementations Consultant at Corepoint Health. Prior to Corepoint Health, David served as a Business Analyst Specialist with The Trizetto Group assisting payers with development of their member, provider, and consumer portals. Additionally, he has assisted many hospitals with numerous interfaces as a software engineer for a healthcare applications solutions provider.

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