The FHIR Transfer Services (FTS) facilitate the transfer of FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) resources between FHIR servers, inhabiting different domains of the SMITH architecture, namely clinical and research domain.
The FHIR Transfer Services software project consists of several components designed to transfer FHIR resources securely and efficiently between clinical and research domains. It includes Clinical Domain Agent (CDA), Research Domain Agent (RDA), and Trust Center Agent (TCA), each serving a specific role in the data transfer process.
The CDA is designed to handle the secure deidentification, pseudonymization and transfer of clinical FHIR resources. It ensures that sensitive patient information is appropriately anonymized before being transferred between systems, supporting interoperability in healthcare while safeguarding patient privacy. It plays a crucial role in the overall data transfer process, working in collaboration with the Research Domain Agent (RDA) and Trust Center Agent (TCA) to facilitate controlled and privacy-aware data exchange.
The TCA serves as a critical component responsible for managing trust and security aspects during the data transfer process. It plays a central role in pseudonymization and deidentification, coordinating with external services such as gPAS and gics, and ensuring the secure exchange of pseudonyms between the Clinical Domain Agent (CDA) and Research Domain Agent (RDA).
The RDA manages the secure transfer of deidentified research-focused FHIR resources. It is responsible for receiving and processing deidentified data from the Clinical Domain Agent (CDA) and facilitating its integration into research FHIR servers. By ensuring compliance with the SMITH architecture, RDA supports the interoperability of research data while preserving patient confidentiality.
Please see the official docs page for complete documentation.