Part of NHS architecture principles
Build a data layer with registers and APIs
Digital services should only store data once (usually where collected) and make it available via open application programming interfaces (APIs) whilst maintaining privacy and security.
Summary
Digital services should only store data once (usually where collected) and make it available via open application programming interfaces (APIs) whilst maintaining privacy and security.
Rationale
Storing data only once reduces costs by removing requirements for data replication/propagation when the data changes and we ensure that each individual (patient or clinician) has visibility of the same record.
Storing data once and making it available via APIs reduces the requirement for costly large databases of personal health and care data to deliver our services and meet our research aims.
Smaller, dispersed datasets mean fewer large attractive targets for hackers.
Implication
- Implement designs that reuse platforms and separate out disparate components, without dependency on one another. This is known as loosely coupled architecture.
- APIs should be made publicly available through an API management layer based upon open standards.
- Documentation should be published in the API and integration catalogue.
- APIs should also be consumed internally unless there is a reason not to do so. Note that this supports a loosely coupled architecture.
- This should be shown in architecture diagrams and assessed by the Architecture Approval Group.
Last edited: 15 December 2023 11:39 am