Which statement about HL7 and FHIR is correct?

• A. HL7 is a widely adopted framework, while FHIR is a modern, web-based standard enabling easier integration and APIs
• B. HL7 is a payment model; FHIR is a data encryption method
• C. HL7 is used only for radiography data; FHIR is a medication scheduling format
• D. HL7 and FHIR are purely administrative guidelines

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is how HL7 and FHIR relate as health information exchange standards and why FHIR represents a modern, web-friendly approach built on HL7’s work. HL7 has been a widely adopted set of standards used across the healthcare industry to share data—think of messages that hospitals send for admissions, lab results, and other clinical information. FHIR, on the other hand, is a newer standard designed to fit today’s technology landscape. It uses familiar web technologies—RESTful APIs, JSON or XML—for easier programming and integration, and it organizes data into reusable “resources” that developers can combine to build interoperable applications quickly.

So the correct statement captures that HL7 is a broadly used framework for health information exchange, while FHIR is a modern, web-based standard that makes integration and API-enabled access more straightforward. The other options mischaracterize HL7 or FHIR—for example, presenting HL7 as a payment model or FHIR as a data encryption method, or limiting HL7 to radiography data, or describing them as purely administrative guidelines. In reality, they are technical standards aimed at interoperable data exchange across care settings.