From component-based to service oriented software architecture for healthcare

Traditional approach to software development has always been expensive and risky business especially in the complex healthcare market. Object oriented design model moves software development away from monolithic systems towards component-based software architecture. Advances in distributed database, network and Internet technologies, the need for more flexible and responsible business usher in the service oriented architecture (SOA) as the new software design paradigm. Health care activities are defined as coordinated intentional actions packaged as "products" or services that are organized based on workflow management principles. The SOA is considered as highly suitable a new software design model for the healthcare industry. This paper illustrates how clinical objects from an object-oriented clinical information systems can be mapped to the SOA structure.