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Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

What is FIYAWARE?

FIYAWARE is essentially a FHIR© server, with associated business logic, enabling data storage in FHIR either temporarily on the server or long‑term via an externally connected database. It also provides the capability to transform non‑FHIR data into FHIR and convert FHIR data into an existing data schema.

What are the benefits of FIYAWARE?

Black Tusk offers support for integration into existing systems and provides customer support for all inquiries. We follow feature‑driven development, which allows customers to directly influence the development roadmap. FIYAWARE provides GDPR‑compliant deletion functionality and is ISiK certified. Our FHIR server can store any profile and validate almost 100%. This functionality and our long‑standing experience in FHIR consulting clearly set us apart from competitors.

What is the difference between FIYAWARE Server, FIYAWARE Suite, and HealthStorage?

FIYAWARE Server is the core component of the FIYAWARE Suite, whereas HealthStorage is a specific application of the Suite that meets medical device requirements and is offered by HSE365.at. The Suite includes additional modules for interoperability in healthcare (data transformation, etc.).

Where can I purchase FIYAWARE?

FIYAWARE can be obtained from Black Tusk GmbH or HSE365AT via direct contact or through the Microsoft Azure Marketplace (link forthcoming).

What is the cost of FIYAWARE?

Price upon request.

How and where can I obtain/install FIYAWARE?

The Docker image is delivered after contract signing. Installation requires a dedicated server. Server requirements depend on the use case and can be determined with support from Black Tusk GmbH. (Minimum for pure storage: 4 GB RAM and 4 virtual cores). Alternatively, it can be accessed via the Microsoft Azure Marketplace. Billing is hourly, and no separate server is required.

Is FIYAWARE compatible with the German ePA?

Yes, FIYAWARE Server can be compatible with the German Electronic Patient Record (ePA), as the ePA is based on the FHIR standard. FIYAWARE Server also supports numerous profiles published by German authorities (Gematik and KBV). Integration with TI components and specialized services, however, is not yet supported.

Can FIYAWARE be integrated into my PVS?

FIYAWARE can be integrated into a practice management system (PVS) to improve data exchange and interoperability. It can function as a central interoperability server, communication server, or as a façade on top of an existing PVS. This allows the PVS to communicate externally via FHIR while retaining its internal data model and architecture. A connector or translator needs to be implemented, which Black Tusk can develop project‑specifically. Since each system is unique with its own data model, this connector is always custom‑made.

Can I embed the FHIR server into my app?

We offer this on a project basis, tailored to the customer's needs and especially to their use case. The API is well documented and conforms to the FHIR standard. A clear definition of input and output (e.g. storage, retrieval, broker) is essential.

Which FHIR standard versions are supported?

We support FHIR standard versions R4, R4b, and R5.

How do I transform my data into the FHIR standard?

Mit Black Tusk FHIR Consulting: Wir analysieren ihr bestehendes Datenmodell und transformieren oder erstellen daraufhin ihr maßgeschneidertes FHIR-Datenmodel.

Technical Questions

How does authorization and authentication work?

You can configure fhir-engine to operate without authentication, with built‑in JWT authentication, or with Keycloak (standard).

  • This can be configured via the environment variable AUTH_PROVIDER [`none`, `internal`, `keycloak`].
  • If you choose `internal`, you can create users via the admin panel who can access the API.
  • In both `internal` and `keycloak`, you can obtain, verify, and refresh JWT tokens via the `/auth/token` endpoint(s).
  • Bundles of type 'transaction' and 'batch' are supported.
Which database is the fhir-engine based on?

Our fhir-engine is database‑agnostic, but works best with PostgreSQL. The database can be configured via the `DB_*` environment variables.

How does searching work?

To perform searches according to the FHIR specification using an SQL database, fhir‑engine normalizes FHIR resources into a flat table structure. It uses a second many‑to‑many relationship table to support arbitrarily complex chained and reverse chained searches. Search capabilities can be easily extended by adding search parameter definitions in JSON format according to the FHIR specification.

How are Bundles handled?

Bundles of type 'transaction' and 'batch' are supported.

  • Transaction‑type bundles are executed atomically, meaning if one of the resources in the bundle fails, the entire bundle is rolled back.
  • Batch‑type bundles are executed independently. If one resource fails, the others are still processed. However, the formal validity of the overall bundle is checked before any request is processed.
How are resources validated?

The fhir‑engine operates via its own library that wraps `fhir.resources` and `fhirpath.py` and simultaneously uses the official FHIRPath JavaScript implementation. This allows fhir‑engine to load custom profiles and extensions and validate resources against them.