Establish Architecture Principles
Architecture Level Project
Last updated
Architecture Level Project
Last updated
Just as a city’s infrastructure is designed to support the needs and uses of a city, the eHealth Architecture exists to support the needs for a country’s or region’s health goals and objectives. eHealth Architecture Principles are the underlying guidelines that ensure that eHealth technologies and technology projects support the eHealth strategies and objectives in a way that maximizes the investment. Because architecture principles are foundational, disparate organizations may share similar architecture principles. In summary, the eHealth principles provide a foundation for making conscious decisions about technology.
Just as a city’s infrastructure is designed to support the needs and uses of a city, the eHealth Architecture exists to support the needs for a country’s or region’s health goals and objectives. eHealth Architecture Principles are the underlying guidelines that ensure that eHealth technologies and technology projects support the eHealth strategies and objectives in a way that maximizes the investment. Because architecture principles are foundational, disparate organizations may share similar architecture principles. In summary, the eHealth principles provide a foundation for making conscious decisions about technology.
TOGAF, The Open Group Architecture Framework, and other architecture processes or frameworks identify different types of architecture principles. To be effective, architecture principles do not need to be organized into categories. However, the following categories serve to help guide thinking about the content areas that architecture principles typically address. While these categories may have some overlapping scope, it may be helpful to ensure that the following types of principles are considered.
For an eHealth Architecture, these principles define how the architecture will support the Health and/or eHealth goals and objectives of the Ministry of Health. These principles typically address topics such as:
Scope of the principles or the business areas that are expected to be aligned with the principles.
Alignment with strategic Health and/or eHealth goals.
Need for consideration of the full life-cycle of technology.
Support for applicable laws and regulations.
For an eHealth Architecture, these principles define how the eHealth data will be managed and governed. These principles typically address topics like:
Expectations regarding data security, data privacy, and transparency.
High-level expectations relating to data governance and management.
To provide the best service possible, some organizations may have principles about their technology and application development approaches. The principles should be above any specific technology. These principles may address topics such as:
A preference for service oriented or agile architecture.
A preference for a specific application hosting strategy.
If technologies need to be supported and maintained internally, there may be a preference to limit technology diversity or restrict to certain types of licensing.
Process Principles - These are principles that guide the processes for how technology projects are approached. These principles may address topics such as:
A systems approach to ensure the solution aligns with the eco system and is focused on user needs.
The desire to participate in open standards and processes.
The following is a general structure for architecture principles. Some organizations may use a different format or have additional categories of information that is captured.
Principle name - this is succinct and represents the essence of the principle.
Description or definition - A two or three sentence definition or description of the principle. It is important to not use vague words like “consider”.
Business rationale - A statement on the value or benefit of using this principle.
The following are illustrative examples of Architecture Principles. The list is intended to help generate thought around the types of principles that may be applicable to a specific environment. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list and it is expected that principles and descriptions will be modified extensively to fit the needs of the environment. The reference column provided in the table below points to resources where the principle is referenced.
Example Principle Name
Example Description
References to the principle or a similar principle
1. Adherence to the Principles
These principles apply to all eHealth projects in the country.
TOGAF
Scotland Health Directorate
2. Maximize Benefit to the Health Ministry and the eHealth Strategy
Information management decisions are made to provide maximum benefit to the country’s Ministry of Health and eHealth strategy as a whole.
TOGAF
Scotland Health Directorate
3. Inclusiveness
All organizations in the Ministry of Health and all stakeholders participate in information management decisions needed to accomplish health objectives.
TOGAF
4. Legal Compliance
eHealth information management processes comply with all relevant laws, policies, and regulations.
TOGAF
5. Standards Based
The architecture and solutions use relevant open eHealth standards where standards are available.
Scotland Health Directorate
USG
OpenHIE
Digital Principles
6. Build for Sustainability
Plan for sustainability from the start, including planning for long-term financial health e.g., assessing total cost of ownership.
Digital Principles
BID
7. Solutions are based upon the eHealth business needs and reference architecture
Solutions will be based upon eHealth business needs and the eHealth Architecture guides the design and delivery of solutions.
Scotland Health Directorate
8. Leverage existing investments
The Country’s eHealth solutions will leverage maximum benefit from existing eHealth investments that can be aligned with the eHealth reference architecture.
Scotland Health Directorate
9. Reuse, Buy, Build
Where possible, software solutions are reused. If reuse is not possible and solutions are externally available either via open source or from software vendors, they will be selected. Only where ministry requirements are substantially unique, or where specific constraints arise, will development be considered.
Scotland Health Directorate
10. Accountability
Making roles and responsibilities clear
11. Transparency
Making it clear on the where, when and how decisions are reached
Example Principle
Description
References
1. Information is an asset and is governed
Data and Information are assets and are managed and governed accordingly. Each data element has a data steward responsible for the definition of the data and ensuring that there are processes to ensure accuracy, and reliability. There are defined rules on who can create, modify, view and delete data.
Scotland Health Directorate
TOGAF
2. Privacy and Security of data
All information is secured against unauthorized access, modification or loss. Consider the context and needs for privacy of personally identifiable information when designing solutions and mitigate accordingly.
Scotland Health Directorate
Principles for Digital development
3. Common Vocabulary and Definitions
Data is defined consistently throughout the enterprise, and the definitions are understandable and available to all users and systems.
TOGAF
Scotland Health Directorate
4. Data is Shared and Accessible (open data)
Users have access to the data necessary to perform their duties; therefore, data is shared across enterprise functions and organizations. Data is accessible to users as necessary to complete their jobs and in compliance with privacy and security designs.
TOGAF
Example Principle
Description
References
1. Service Oriented Architecture
Where possible, architecture and solutions are composed of reusable modular components and services, based on Service Oriented Architecture.
TOGAF
Scotland Health Directorate
2. Technology diversity
Technology diversity is controlled to minimize the cost of maintaining expertise in, and connectivity between, multiple platforms.
Scotland Health Directorate
3. Ease of use
Applications are easy to use. The underlying technology is transparent to users, so they can concentrate on tasks at hand.
TOGAF
4. Common Use
Development of applications used across the enterprise is preferred over the development of similar or duplicative applications which are only provided to a particular organization
TOGAF
5. Responsiveness
Applications are available and responsive to needs
Example Principle
Description
References
1. Understand the existing ecosystem
Ensure projects and programs are built, managed, and owned with consideration given to the local ecosystem.
Principles for Digital Development
2. Design with the user in mind
Include representatives of stakeholders in planning, design, development and assessment of solutions. Develop context appropriate solutions informed by user needs.
3. Data Driven
Design projects so that impact can be measured at discrete milestones with a focus on outcomes rather than outputs.
Principles for Digital Development
4. Project Governance
eHealth projects will be managed under the eHealth governance process.
5. Open
Use open standards, open source and open innovation.
BID
OpenHIE
Principles for Digital Development
References:
