HHS ONC FEDERAL HEALTH INFORMATION MODEL FHIM
For over 12 years, we led the modeling work on the Federal Health Information Model (FHIM) at the ONC. This federal healthcare IT project developed a comprehensive model covering 39 clinical and administrative healthcare domains. You can view the full FHIM model on our website at FHIMS.org.
The model links to standard reference terminologies to ensure precision and consistency in healthcare data.
Our team designed the FHIMS program to align partner agencies around electronic medical records and terminology standard development. We also coordinated agency involvement in relevant Standards Development Organizations (SDOs) through the FHIMS initiative. Additionally, we created FHIMS.org. as a collaborative website for Healthcare IT professionals to access and contribute to the model.
The FHIMS is an information model, not a data model, which sets higher-level specifications for healthcare systems. Information models guide design and structure, while data models are implemented directly in specific systems and software.
Executive Order 13410
The FHA, with federal partners, addresses Executive Order 13410 to support secure, interoperable health information exchanges across government. FHA plays a coordinating role to align health IT investments across federal agencies and related consortia. This coordination has led to key initiatives like FHIM, FHIPR, and other cross-agency interoperability projects.
FHA partners developed the Federal Health Information Model (FHIM) to represent shared healthcare data needs across agencies. The FHIM project focuses on building a common Logical Information Model, also called a Computationally Independent Model (CIM). Data models are typically designed for implementation in systems and software. In contrast, information models define high-level concepts and guide system design more abstractly.
Think of a data model like blueprints a builder uses to plan wiring, plumbing, walls, and windows. A programmer uses a data model to create code structures like Java or C++ classes. Information models are more abstract and don’t tie to specific systems or code. They define classes and relationships just above the level of computer-specific implementation. Modeling exists on a spectrum—from abstract concepts to system-specific details. Currently, computer science has no strict rules defining the boundary between data and information models.
Coordination in Partnerships
The FHIMS program coordinates partner agencies’ efforts on information and terminology standards across major Standards Development Organizations (SDOs). These SDOs include HL7, NCPDP, IHE, and others focused on healthcare interoperability and standardization. Many partner agencies already participate in SDOs, and FHIMS helps them align their efforts and avoid redundant involvement. FHIMS enables agencies to present a unified position and streamline participation in these standards organizations.
For agencies not yet active in certain SDOs, FHIMS offers a way to stay informed and engaged indirectly. For example, if VA participates in OASIS and IHS does not, IHS can still engage through FHIMS coordination. FHIMS allows IHS to request VA representatives at OASIS to champion issues important to IHS. Another major FHIMS effort was the Federal Health Terminology Model project for developing standardized healthcare terminology content.
This project coordinated partner agencies to create terminology models and define value sets linked to the Information Model. The Terminology Model and Information Model describe the same healthcare concepts from different perspectives. Both modeling teams collaborated to identify key concepts requiring value sets and to define their structure and members. This close coordination ensured terminology and information models remained consistent and aligned across participating agencies.