PointClickCare FHIR API

Connecting with PointClickCare using USCDI Connector FHIR applications

USCDI Connector is PointClickCare’s solution for customers and 3rd party vendors, interested in building ONC compliant FHIR API based integrations with PointClickCare.

PointClickCare’s FHIR API documentation for USCDI Connector lists the details of the FHIR APIs supported (in line with the USCDI v1 data set). For further API details please refer to the FHIR US Core 3.1.1 Implementation Guide.

There are 3 types of USCDI Connector applications that can be registered with PointClickCare – Patient facing, Provider facing & Bulk data. Before Apps can access patient data from PointClickCare, please go through the process below to register your application.

Please note, Users (Patient or Provider) will only have access to patient records that their accounts are authorized to access in PointClickCare.

Registering a SMART on FHIR Application to access Patient data

  1. Prior to accessing patient data, you will need to register your application. To start the process, please contact our Partnership team through the ‘Apply for Partnership’ form at: Become a Partner (pointclickcare.com)
  2. Once the right Developer program (USCDI Connector or Marketplace) has been determined for your business, you will receive a link via email to apply for your Developer Portal account.
    1. Note: Please ensure you are using a single developer account for your business. At this time your application/applications can only be tied to a single developer account.
  3. To gain access to the USCDI Connector App registration portal, please log in to the Developer Portal and navigate to the ‘USCDI Connector Apps’ option in the drop-down User menu in the top right-hand corner.
    1. Note: The contact in the USCDI Connector App registration portal will redirect to a support channel that is not connected to PointClickCare. Please do not use this channel.
  4. If it is your first time accessing USCDI Connector, you will need to register a developer account in the USCDI Connector App portal
    1. You can register as a business or individual
      1. Registering as a business:
        1. Legal full name: Name of the contact that spoke with the PointClickCare Partnership Manager
        2. Legal Business Name: Your business name shared with your PointClickCare Partnership Manager
        3. Position or Designation: Your role/title at your company
      2. Registering as an individual:
        1. Legal full name: Name of the contact that spoke with the PointClickCare Partnership Manager
    2. Address: Please list the address and phone details shared with the PointClickCare Partnership Manager
    3. Click ‘Submit’ - Your USCDI Connector Developer account will be automatically approved
  5. Once you have registered your USCDI Connector Developer account, please register your App using the “+Register” button
  6. Please select one of the 2 options:
    1. ‘Register App’ - Select this if you are registering a Patient or Provider focused App, that will be launched from the EHR or directly from a mobile device
    2. ‘Register Backend Service’ - Select this if you are registering an App to make bulk API calls
  7. If you selected ‘Register App’, please follow the steps below:
    1. Step 1: Please enter your App name, as you would like it to be displayed to your Users
    2. Step 2:
      1. Note: If you are registering a web app you will need to provide the Web App Launch URL for launching out of the E.H.R as an additional field
        1. Note: PointClickCare does not support an App Gallery at this time.  
    3. Step 3: Please upload the details requested on this page. Although, at this time, PointClickCare does not support public App listings, they will be available for use in the future. 
    4. Step 4:
      1. Audience Category: Please select only between the ‘Provider’ and ‘Patient’ options. No other App categories are supported at this time. Provider Web Apps will be launched out of the PointClickCare E.H.R and Patient Web Apps will be launched out of the PointClickCare Connected Care Center.
        1. Note: Customers need to have Connected Care Center enabled before any Patient Apps can be used. If your customer does not have it enabled, please ask them to contact their PointClickCare Rep.
      2. FHIR Versions Supported: PointClickCare only supports FHIR R4 at this time
      3. Authentication: Please select the option that reflects your Authentication model
      4. App Use Category: Please select the option that best describes the function of your App. Please note, this field is not exposed by PointClickCare at this time
      5. Compliance and Certification: Please share any Compliance and Certifications that your App meets at this time
    5. Step 5: Please skip this page without making a selection, otherwise your Provider/Patient App cannot be enabled. To register an App to make Bulk API calls, please go through the ‘Backend Services’ flow.
    6. Step 6: Please capture the FHIR scopes your App will require
      1. Note: At this time PointClickCare only supports read scopes. 
    7. Step 7: Please add any additional context for the App reviewer
    8. Step 8: Please Accept PointClickCare’s Terms & Conditions. Please note, regardless of the ‘information bubble’ reference to meeting CMS rules, the attestation covers more than just the compliance with CMS rules. If you ‘Decline’, your App will not be approved for use.
    9. Your App is now submitted for review to the PointClickCare Partnership Manager team. You will be notified via email when the approval is complete.
      1. Note: At this time PointClickCare does not support screenshots or videos as part of the App registration process.
      2. Your App Client ID & Secret will be available through the ‘Connections’ tab in your approved App listing 
  8. If you selected ‘Register Backend Services’, please follow the steps below. Please notes, Apps using Backend Services (bulk API) are not visible to Users to launch out of PointClickCare E.H.R or Connected Center (unlike E.H.R. launched Apps):
    1. Step 1: Please enter your Service Name, and Service Description (as discussed with your Partnership Manager)
    2. Step 2:
      1. FHIR Versions Supported: PointClickCare only supports FHIR R4 at this time
      2. Authentication: Please select the option that reflects your Authentication model
      3. Compliance and Certification: Please share any Compliance and Certifications that your App meets at this time
    3. Step 3: Please capture the FHIR scopes your App will require
      1. Note: At this time PointClickCare only supports read scopes.
    4. Step 4: Please add any additional context for the App reviewer
    5. Step 5: Please Accept PointClickCare’s Terms & Conditions. Please note, the attestation covers more than just the compliance with CMS rules.
    6. Your App is now submitted for review to the PointClickCare Partnership Manager team. You will be notified via email when the approval is complete.
      1. Your App Client ID & Secret will be available through the ‘Connections’ tab in your approved App listing

Enablement process for USCDI Connector integrations

  1. Once an app has been registered with PCC, the enablement is driven by PCC customers, by Facility
  2. PCC customers will need to speak with their PCC Sales Representative about the process to enable a USCDI Connector integration
  3. The integration enablement will take a minimum of 2 weeks, depending on the number of Facilities where the enablement is requested and the complexity of their patient records
    1. Note: If you are registering a ‘Patient’ facing App, the customer will have to be enabled with PointClickCare’s Connected Care Center for your Users to access patient data.

Making your first FHIR API call

  1. PCCs implementation of SMART on FHIR follows the public standard. Please use the documentation listed here as the guide: https://hl7.org/fhir/smart-app-launch/2021May/
    1. Note: The base FHIR URL https://connect.pointclickcare.com/fhir/R4 will need to have the Tenant ID appended to it before the FHIR resource is called
      1. Sample URL: https://connect.pointclickcare.com/fhir/R4/{tenantId}/CareTeam
    2. The tenant ID (known as OrgUUID) will be shared by the customer at the time of activation of the App

Retrieving a CCD (g9)

  1. You will need to register a patient/provider App to access CCD’s via API. 
  2. To access CCDs you will need to use the FHIR DocumentReference API. The API details to make the successful call can be found on the API Specification page.
    1. Requesting a current CCD:
      1. Make DocumentReference call using patient, type set to CCD Loinc code (listed in period element in the API specification). 
      2. Receive 1 Document Reference in the response, with 1 attachment that contains the URL to generate the current CCD.
        1. API response element that contains the URL: DocumentReference.content.attachment.url
      3. Traverse the URL to obtain the CCD, which is immediately resolved as XML
    2. Requesting a CCD for a date/date range
      1. Make DocumentReference call using the patient, type set to CCD Loinc code and the period (all described in the API specification). 
      2. Receive 1 Document Reference in the response, with a list of CCDs as attachments. Each attachment has a URL for the specific document
        1. API response element that contains the URL: DocumentReference.content.attachment.url
      3. Traverse the URL to obtain the CCD, which is immediately resolved as XML
      4. If the response comes back with 0 results, the current version of the CCD is generated on the fly and immediately resolved as XML

Pricing

USCDI Connector FHIR API pricing uses the following model:

  1. Customers under PCC’s current pricing model will be charged a flat fee of $65 per App per Facility per Month. This price will be subject to annual revision, in line with costs incurred by PointClickCare.