# HSCN - required by Third Party Applications? **Category:** [open forum](https://openhealthhub.org/c/open-forum/9) **Created:** 2020-05-20 15:39 UTC **Views:** 2196 **Replies:** 8 **URL:** https://openhealthhub.org/t/hscn-required-by-third-party-applications/2274 --- ## Post #1 by @Joshua_Wright Hi All, My name is Josh and I am just starting upon my journey down the rabbit hole, which is health IT. I am working alongside a company that has developed an AWS cloud-based application, which observes a patient's possibility of cognitive impairment. They are looking to integrate it with secondary care EHRs at the moment, however we are not 100% sure they would require to get a connection to HSCN. From what we have gleaned, 'HSCN is necessary to access NHS services', therefore we interpret that as national Spine services and not necessarily trusts at a local level. Therefore the question I ask is: Based on your knowledge of NHS IT, would you think a HSCN connection for a third party application would be necessary to integrate with a trust's EHR system, with patient demographics being pulled/pushed? (or possibly desirable, as we move into a 'less secure' internet environment, as a safety net) --- ## Post #2 by @mayfield.g.kev I don't think it is required. I'm also working with a new EPR vendor also hosted on AWS. We believe we can receive updates to our system from a hospitals PAS - it would probably be configuration the trust could do connect externally to AWS and we would need to do some IG work. official guidance is here https://digital.nhs.uk/services/health-and-social-care-network/hscn-technical-guidance/public-cloud-connectivity-to-hscn/public-cloud-connectivity-to-hscn --- ## Post #3 by @Joshua_Wright Thank you for the input Kev. I understand all the 'First' policies that are flying about, but I know that there can be a hesitance to new things, especially when moving from something which was engrained as 'gold standard' for security over the years. (e.g. I was still using a DOS-based LIMS until a few years ago) Do you feel that the requirement for a HSCN connection, from a procurement aspect, is less major now? --- ## Post #4 by @spdegabrielle Its not required - but you will find that you wont be able to do some things, and will probably vary from trust to trust. --- ## Post #5 by @Joshua_Wright Thank for the response Stephen; when you say you can't do some things do you mean at a local level or national level? (i.e. access to local EHR data vs Spine services) --- ## Post #6 by @nurzbox so, have you found an answer to your question? i'm wondering the same thing now. thanks in advance for answering --- ## Post #7 by @Joshua_Wright Hi Paul, I've had a number of talks with various people, the advice I got from NHS Digital was that a HSCN connection is **'strongly recommended'**. Although from others, it seems like it depends on the situation/deployment. I was considering HSCN initially as we needed access to the NHS Spine PDS service; although I have been told this now has internet-facing APIs. The only instance that we have been told HSCN could be advantageous, is if a trust houses their EHR on-premises; although I imagine there may be other ways to overcome this barrier. Hope this helps! --- ## Post #8 by @nurzbox [quote="Joshua_Wright, post:7, topic:2274"] The only instance that we have been told HSCN https://madcowboy.com/ could be advantageous, is if a trust houses their EHR on-premises; although I imagine there may be other ways to overcome this barrier. [/quote] thanks a lot! but you have tried it yourself? --- ## Post #9 by @Joshua_Wright Unfortunately not, due to current circumstances, we have not gotten to that point yet. Also I have noticed that NHS Digital have recently revamped some of their webpages on [HSCN](https://digital.nhs.uk/services/health-and-social-care-network); worth a read. --- **Canonical:** https://openhealthhub.org/t/hscn-required-by-third-party-applications/2274 **Original content:** https://openhealthhub.org/t/hscn-required-by-third-party-applications/2274