Achieving Semantic Interoperability in Modern Healthcare: A Microservices-Based Architectural Framework

Abstract

The wide adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) has resulted in a vast amount of digitized patient data, yet the healthcare ecosystem remains severely fragmented by data silos. This article examines a microservice-based architectural framework as the foundation to achieve true interoperability in modern healthcare. Through a detailed analysis of technical and organizational dimensions, it addresses the limitations of monolithic systems and provides a blueprint for a new generation of health information systems constructed on microservices. The main discussion details essential technical components, including the adoption of Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) as the standard for data exchange, containerization for scalable services, and API Gateways for orchestration and secure communication. The article extends to socio-economic implications, exploring the economic impact of architectural changes, the potential to advance health equity by design, and the critical ethical considerations around distributed data governance. The evidence indicates that a strategic, standards-based adoption of microservices architecture enables a more connected, flexible, and patient-focused healthcare ecosystem for the future.