Healthcare runs on data – and the ability to share it smoothly between systems is no longer optional. From hospitals to clinics to patient apps, interoperability is essential.
This is where SMART on FHIR comes in. It’s an open standard that makes it easier than ever to connect apps to EHRs, making healthcare data exchange faster, simpler, and more secure.
What Is SMART on FHIR?
Let’s break it down: SMART on FHIR combines two key ideas:
1. FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) – a set of specifications that enables different healthcare systems to share data with one another. Think of it as a universal language for health information.
2. SMART (Substitutable Medical Applications and Reusable Technologies) – an additional set of specifications that ensures that these FHIR-based apps can connect to those systems securely and easily.
With SMART on FHIR, developers can build apps that can connect to a large number of electronic health record (EHR) systems and share data in a much easier way than what was ever possible.
Why Is This a Big Deal?
SMART on FHIR is solving a lot of challenges in healthcare technology.
Here are some of the reasons why people are so excited about it:
- Interoperability: SMART on FHIR enables seamless data exchange between diverse healthcare systems, making it easier for healthcare providers, patients and payers to work together and share information.
- Easy Integration: The framework supports a “plug-and-play” model, allowing healthcare organizations to quickly implement and test new applications without extensive custom integration.
- Secure Access to Data: With built-in support for OAuth 2.0 and granular permission management, SMART on FHIR ensures that apps only access the data that they’re authorized to use.
- Empowering Patients: In many countries, patients can use SMART on FHIR apps to access their health records directly, enhancing engagement and giving them more control over their care.
- Encouraging Innovation: By simplifying app development and integration, SMART on FHIR lowers barriers to innovation, allowing developers to build creative new tools that can be reused across multiple organizations
- Affordability: Since SMART on FHIR apps are reusable and interchangeable, they tend to cost less in the long run—without sacrificing quality.
- Regulatory Alignment: Many U.S. interoperability rules—including those from ONC and CMS—encourage or require support for SMART on FHIR, making it a future-proof choice.
Real-Life Examples of SMART on FHIR in Action
Here are some amazing ways that SMART on FHIR is being used today:
- Apple Health: This app pulls data from multiple health record systems using SMART on FHIR and combines them into one spot, giving patients a comprehensive view of their health data in a single place.
- CommonHealth: Built for Android, this app does something similar, allowing millions of users worldwide to securely access their health data.
- Clinical Tools: Apps like growth chart visualizers and cardiac risk calculators use SMART on FHIR to provide clinicians with actionable insights directly from within their EHR. These can sometimes be combined with CDS Hooks for even more interactivity in the EHR.
- Patient-Facing Health Apps: Patients can use SMART on FHIR apps to access their health records, manage their immunizations, monitor skin issues and more—pulling data directly from one or more providers in a consistent format.
- Remote Monitoring Integration: SMART on FHIR can power apps that pull patient-generated health data (like chronic cardiometabolic conditions) into the clinician’s workflow, supporting more personalized care.
How SiteRocket Labs Helps
At SiteRocket Labs, we use SMART on FHIR to develop and integrate applications that work seamlessly across modern health systems.
Whether you need a standalone app, an EHR-embedded tool, or a patient-facing mobile experience, we’ll ensure that it’s built on solid, interoperable foundations—with privacy, security, and scalability baked in from the start.
Interested in exploring how SMART on FHIR can power your next health application? Contact us to start the conversation.
