Bridging Legacy Healthcare Systems: Our New Open Source HL7 TCP-to-HTTPS Solution

 The Challenge: Connecting Legacy HL7 Systems to Modern Healthcare Infrastructure

Healthcare organizations worldwide face a common challenge: integrating legacy HL7 systems that communicate over TCP with modern web-based healthcare platforms that use HTTPS. This gap between old and new technology often creates barriers to seamless data exchange, limiting the potential for improved patient care and operational efficiency.

At Senior Insight, we encountered this exact challenge while working with healthcare providers who needed to bridge their existing HL7 infrastructure with cloud-based healthcare systems. Rather than build a proprietary solution, we decided to create something that could benefit the entire healthcare technology community.

https://github.com/seniorinsight/HL7endpointTCPlistener

 Introducing HL7 TCP-to-HTTPS Bridge: Now Open Source

Today, we're excited to announce the release of our HL7 TCP-to-HTTPS Bridge as an open-source project. This Windows service provides a reliable, production-ready solution for forwarding HL7 messages from TCP endpoints to HTTPS-based healthcare systems.

 Key Features

🔗 Seamless Integration

- Listens for incoming HL7 messages on configurable TCP ports

- Forwards messages to specified HTTPS endpoints

- Maintains HL7 MLLP (Minimal Lower Layer Protocol) compliance

🛡️ Enterprise-Ready Security

- HTTP Basic Authentication support

- Configurable endpoint security

- Comprehensive error logging to Windows Event Viewer

⚙️ Easy Configuration

- Simple XML configuration file

- Configurable IP addresses and ports

- Template-based setup for quick deployment

🔧 Production Reliability

- Runs as a Windows service for continuous operation

- Multi-threaded design for concurrent connections

- Robust error handling and automatic recovery

 Why We Made It Open Source

Healthcare interoperability shouldn't be hindered by proprietary barriers. By releasing this solution under the MIT License, we're enabling:

- Healthcare organizations to implement reliable HL7 bridging without licensing costs

- Healthcare IT professionals to customize the solution for their specific needs

- The broader community to contribute improvements and enhancements

- Innovation through collaborative development

 Technical Highlights

Built with C and .NET Framework 4.7.2, our solution leverages:

- Socket-based TCP listening for reliable HL7 message reception

- RestSharp for robust HTTPS communication

- Windows Service architecture for enterprise deployment

- Event-driven logging for comprehensive monitoring

The service automatically handles MLLP framing, extracts HL7 messages, forwards them to your HTTPS endpoint, and returns acknowledgments to the sending system.

 Getting Started

Setting up the HL7 TCP-to-HTTPS Bridge is straightforward:

1. Download the latest release from our GitHub repository

2. Configure your endpoints using the provided template

3. Install as a Windows service using the included installer

4. Monitor through Windows Event Viewer

Detailed installation and configuration instructions are available in the repository's comprehensive README.

 Real-World Impact

This solution addresses critical needs in healthcare IT infrastructure:

- EHR Integration: Connect legacy practice management systems to modern EHR platforms

- Laboratory Systems: Bridge lab instruments to cloud-based LIMS systems 

- Imaging Networks: Forward radiology data to web-based PACS solutions

- Telehealth Platforms: Integrate existing clinical systems with telemedicine applications

 Community and Contributions

We believe the best solutions come from collaborative development. The healthcare technology community brings diverse perspectives and real-world experience that makes software better for everyone.

We welcome contributions including:

- Feature enhancements and optimizations

- Additional authentication methods

- Extended protocol support

- Documentation improvements

- Bug reports and fixes

 Our Commitment to Healthcare Interoperability

At Senior Insight, we're committed to advancing healthcare technology through innovation and collaboration. This open-source release represents our dedication to:

- Removing barriers to healthcare data exchange

- Supporting the community with practical, tested solutions

- Advancing interoperability standards and practices

- Enabling innovation through accessible technology

 Get Involved

Ready to bridge your HL7 systems? Here's how to get started:

🔗 [View the Project on GitHub](https://github.com/seniorinsight/HL7endpointTCPlistener)

- ⭐ Star the repository to show your support

- 🍴 Fork the project to customize for your needs 

- 🐛 Report issues to help us improve

- 💡 Submit pull requests with enhancements

- 📖 Read the documentation for implementation guidance

 About Senior Insight

Senior Insight specializes in healthcare technology solutions that improve patient outcomes and operational efficiency. We combine deep healthcare domain expertise with cutting-edge technology to solve real-world challenges facing healthcare organizations.

Interested in custom healthcare technology solutions? [Contact us](mailto:support@seniorinsight.com) to discuss your specific needs.

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Tags: HL7 Healthcare Interoperability OpenSource HealthTech Integration TCP HTTPS WindowsService MIT

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Have questions about implementing this solution? Join the discussion on our GitHub repository or reach out to our team directly.