Ensure your HL7 message is understood by healthcare vendors before and during clinical data processing.

Gap analysis or conformance checking of an HL7 message is a logical process used to determine whether a message from one particular medical device or application is compatible to a standard HL7 messaging format.

Although the HL7 2.X messaging standard is the most widely used standard in the United States, it varies greatly in how it is implemented by each medical device and application. Consequently, it is often called the "non-standard standard".

In this study, we explore two common reasons why nonconformance occurs between devices or applications, and demonstrate the process for conformance checking HL7 messages, leading to improved integrity in the exchange of clinical data.