Expectations

• Overview of Mirth:

  • Mirth 101

  • Channels

  • Massaging Data

  • Input / Output

• How Mirth is currently being used

• Workshop / tutorial on data

• Get a text file into OpenMRS through Mirth

Overview

• Mirth - integration server developed by WebReach Inc.

• Middle layer between 2 systems - e.g. OpenMRS & Lab/Pharmacy System

• Allows you to send messages between systems and do custom transformations in the middle

• Concept of channel:

  • Communicate through channel

  • Each channel has a single source, but can have multiple destinations

  • At the source, can have a set of filters and transformers:

    • Filter - can filter out messages

    • Transformer - get certain datatype in - can transform message slightly, custom porcessing

  • Each destination can have a set of filters and transformers

• Supports multiple datatypes / inputs

  • File readers, database readers, HL7, DICOM, TCP sockets etc.

• Custom javascript - e.g. using XML, can access tags easily

• Dragging and dropping

• Possibility of using web services

Application Demonstration

• Creation of channels

• Getting data into and out of channels

• All server based - web base application

• Dahsboard tab - current channels, queues, channel messages

• Channels tab - displays existing channels

  • Creating a new channel:

    • On Channels tab, Right Click->Create New Channel

      • Choose input data type - HL7, XML etc

      • Connector Type - TCP Listener, File Reader, SOAP, Database Reader

      • On side panel

        • can define filters - create and edit filter rules

        • can define transformers - can define message templates, which builds a message tree

      • Choose destination / output data type - HL7, XML etc

      • Destination Connector Type - File Writer, SOAP, Database Writer
        Example XML message template:

        <patient> <name></name> <age></age> </patient>

Question: Can you pull out an XML with patient demographics and various encounters, and separate this into demographics and an HL7 message for each encounter

Answer: Possibility: split into multiple destinations, but not entirely sure. (Look at documentation)

TCP Socket vs. Web Services

• Web services have not been implemented in OpenMRS yet

• Ryan Crichton has been working on OpenMRS module:

  • Uses TCP Socket to act as interface

  • Runs through the OpenMRS API, so not direct to DB

  • Allows for validation and transformation before persisting to the DB

  • Better practice to run through the API

  • Opens up server on predefined port, and listens for messages

  • Module to do this exists, but is not yet generic or well documented

    • If module would be useful to others, can make these additions to the module

James Arbaugh's Use Case

• CSV file of patient data

• One patient per file, with multiple lab results

• Create New Channel:

  • Source - File reader with .csv file extension

  • Destination - HL7 File Writer with destination directory

  • Transformer - to convert between the two formats

Future

Look at using Mirth in conjunction with Sync