Open Client Registry (OpenCR) links patient identities held across information systems to support care coordination, continuity of care, and reporting. It can assign unique identifiers, look them up, and accept FHIR messages from point-of-service systems such as labs and EMRs. Matching is configurable and can use probabilistic or deterministic methods, with multiple algorithm variations. The interface lets users review records and break matches between them. Deployments include the OpenCR Service and HAPI FHIR Server with OpenSearch or Elasticsearch; OpenHIM is optional. Transactions, including queries, are stored as audit events in HAPI FHIR and can be viewed in the OpenCR interface. OpenCR is open source and supports API, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, web, and Windows environments. It does not function as a shared health record and does not contain clinical data. Production installation expects Linux and requires command-line familiarity and Linux administration expertise. Production HAPI FHIR also needs a database backend, with PostgreSQL and MySQL given as examples. JWT and other user authentication solutions are not supplied out of the box and can be added for a deployment.
Who it is for
OpenCR suits organizations that need to connect patient identities across information systems and can manage a production Linux deployment. It is not intended to serve as a shared clinical record.
What is good
- Configurable probabilistic and deterministic matching
- Accepts FHIR messages from labs and EMRs
- Interface supports record review and breaking matches
- Transaction audit events can be viewed in the UI
- Open-source with multiple deployment environments
What to know first
- Does not contain patient clinical data
- Production requires Linux administration expertise
- Production HAPI FHIR requires a database backend
- User authentication is not provided out of the box
Verdict
OpenCR focuses on identity matching and exchange between systems, with configurable methods and audit visibility. Teams should plan for Linux administration, a production database, and their own user-authentication approach.
Compared on identity resolution software
- Matching approach
- hybrid
- Real-time API
- Yes
- Batch file import
- Yes
