Implementing an HL7 version 3 modeling tool from an Ecore model.

One of the main challenges of achieving interoperability using the HL7 V3 healthcare s tandard i s the la ck of c lear d efinition an d s upporting tools for modeling, testing, and conformance checking. Currently, the knowledge defining the modeling is scattered around in MIF schemas, tools a nd s pecifications or simply with the domain e xperts. M odeling core HL7 co ncepts, constraints, a nd semantic relationships in Ecore/EMF encapsulates the domain-specific knowledge in a transparent w ay while unifying Java, X ML, and U ML in an abstract, h igh- level representation. Moreover, persisting and versioning the core HL7 concepts as a sing le Ecore context allows m odelers and implementers to create, edi t a nd validate message models against a single modeling context. The solution discussed in this paper is implemented i n the new HL7 S tatic Model Designer as an extensible toolset integrated as a standalone Eclipse RCP application.