Join the global community advancing the development and use of IEEE 11073 service-oriented device connectivity (SDC), IHE DEV Service-oriented Device Point-of-care Interoperability (SDPi) profiles, and the HL7 DEV WG Devices on FHIR (DoF) implementation guides!  

The sections below provide guidance and links for how to engage with others who have years of experience in standards-based device interoperability as well as those who are new to the area and want to learn and contribute.  

Note:  The SDPi+FHIR Tools & Stuff page provides great resources for learning about SDPi+FHIR, as well as, open source tools, open test tools, tooling discussions, etc.  

What Lays Below ...


Joining Forces

The SDPi+FHIR Community recognizes and integrates activities afoot in other groups  This includes:

  • OR.net SDC program - including technology vendors who have prototyped and demonstrated and delivered SDC-enabled products 
  • ...


Community Events & Roadmaps

Numerous targeted events are being scheduled for the Gemini SDPi+FHIR community and are detailed on the Community Events page.  This includes IHE plug-a-thons & connectathons, FHIR DevDays and connectathons, workshops, demonstrations, webinars, etc.  

Additionally, program planning is for 2020 and 2021 is underway.  Check out the 2021 Roadmap Central page and add your own Wish List (or sanity check!).


Implementer Community Forum

There is a growing community of those who are starting to design and prototype implementations that integrate HL7 FHIR, IEEE 11073 SDC, IHE SDPi, and other standards-based technologies.  They join those who for 15 ... 25+ years have been working on prototypes and real-world product implementations of these standards.  Whereas the Old Guys can provide experienced guidance, "newbies" ask questions that often trigger "We haven't thought of that!" responses.  Or identify areas that have been on the roadmap ... sometimes for many years ... but not yet made it to the top of the list.

To support those trying to do "real" work:

  1. Use the Zulip Discussion Stream below to ask questions or even search for previously discussed topics
  2. Use the Topics on the Table Confluence pages below to capture discussion threads that require capture of content, web meetings, etc.
  3. Use Jira to capture both consensus resolutions & a backlog for completing investigations, capturing decisions, and creating a "backlog" for integration into the other SDPi+FHIR pages
  4. Joint weekly web Meetings of the Minds to interactively discuss project topics (synchronous real-time vs. Zulip above)


Topics on the Table

Remember that "consensus" has been described as ...

Agreement of those who care, Silence of those who don't  

As topics of interest surface during community exchanges (e.g., Zulip threads), they should be captured on the Topics of Interest page and subpages, laying the foundation for understanding the discussions and rationale that led up to the content that is in the SDPi+FHIR specifications, tooling, etc.  Jira will be used as appropriate to capture the decisions that are made and when / where / how they are integrated into the SDPi+FHIR specifications & tooling.


Zulip Discussion Stream

A discussion stream "SDPi+FHIR" has been created in Zulip @ chat.fhir.org for asking questions and exchanging ideas.   To join the discusson stream ....

  1. Create a Zulip loging using your email (free) & join the "FHIR Community" Zulip "organization":   chat.fhir.org 
  2. Subscribe to the "SDPi+FHIR" stream  (select "Add streams" on the bottom of the "Streams" list on the left side of the window)
  3. Optional:  Install Zulip app (free):  Zulip App downloads page 
  4. ... and be a good community neighbor!  See Chat.fhir.org Community Expectations and FHIR Rules for Asking Questions 

You're ready to go!  


Confluence for Creating Concept Content

Obviously, this web page is hosted on HL7 Confluence server, as are all the meeting and discussion notes and core Gemini SDPi+FHIR project content creation.  Although these pages are publicly viewable, if you want to contribute to the discussion or  "follow" Confluence pages and be notified when there are changes, you have to provide your contact info (just email) in an HL7 Confluence account, which is VERY easy:

  1. Navigate to HL7 Confluence Home Page 
  2. Select "Request An Account" toward the top center of the page
  3. Provide your name and email + under "Description" enter something like "Gemini SDPi+FHIR project participation"
  4. Submit!!

Typically you should have your account within minutes or 24 hours - perhaps longer if you do it Friday night!


Meetings of the Minds

Everyone needs ... more meetings!  

For those who fall into this category (and you know who you are), here are some opportunities:

  1. Twice-a-week 1or2-hour each SDPi+FHIR WebEx sessions
  2. Devices on FHIR (DoF) HL7 Devices group meets twice a week
    • Mondays, 0700-0800 Pacific / 1600-1700 Central Europe
      • NOTE:  Monday is typically dedicated to PoCD
    • Wednesdays (bi-weekly), 0600-0700 Pacific / 1500-1600 Central Europe
    • For meeting information, contact the DoF co-chair lead, John Rhoads
  3. Other calls are occasionally scheduled - ask if there is a particular topic that you are looking to discuss

But most of the discussion should happen on the Zulip stream (above) or this confluence site.  Then there is always the "tried and true" ...


GitHub for Managing Project Work Products 

Although Confluence is excellent for capturing all the discussions and core content that will end up in profiles, implementation guides, white papers and similar documentation, management of actual work product artifacts and the tasking / issue resolution around it will be done using IHE's GitHub:

IHE GitHub sdpi-fhir Repository

Tasks captured in Confluence that specifically relate to editorial items for artifacts in GitHub will be linked to GitHub Issues & Task "cards" in the sdpi-fhir repository.

Note: that ihe.github.io will also be used in the future to publish versions of the various artifacts.  


If you MUST use email ...

An email list has been created for the Gemini SDPi+FHIR program:  sdpi-fhir@googlegroups.com 

To be added to / removed from the list, send a request to:  Todd Cooper / John Rhoads