In the healthcare industry, secure access to patient information is paramount. To ensure robust authentication for backend applications, SMART backend services provides a comprehensive framework built upon OAuth 2.0 standards. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of building a backend OAuth 2.0 app, completing the required Epic community member setup, and obtaining an access token using a JWT (JSON Web Token) for your backend service.
OAuth 2.0 authentication for backend applications allows secure access to patient information without direct user interaction. Here’s how you can set up your backend application:
You can create a new private key named privatekey.pem using OpenSSL with the following command:
openssl genrsa -out /path_to_key/privatekey.pem 2048
Make sure the key length is at least 2048 bits.
Then you can export the public key to a base64 encoded X.509 certificate named publickey509.pem using this command:
openssl req -new -x509 -key /path_to_key/privatekey.pem -out /path_to_key/publickey509.pem -subj '/CN=myapp'
Where ‘/CN=myapp’ is the subject name (for example the app name) the key pair is for. The subject name does not have a functional impact in this case but is required to create an X.509 certificate.
Ensure your application is mapped to an Epic user account for auditing purposes. This setup is essential for tracking web service calls made by your backend application and maintaining compliance with security standards.
JWTs play a crucial role in obtaining access tokens for Backend Services. Here’s how you can generate a JWT and exchange it for an access token:
After completing the OAuth 2.0 setup, you can manage your app’s configuration and select the specific resources you need data from:
import os
import json
import requests
from datetime import datetime, timedelta, timezone
import jwt
import secrets
def get_bearer_token():
EPIC_ENDPOINT = os.getenv('EPIC_ENDPOINT')
try:
client_id = os.getenv("CLIENT_ID")
message = {
'iss': client_id,
'sub': client_id,
'aud': EPIC_ENDPOINT + "/oauth2/token",
'jti': secrets.token_hex(16),
'iat': int(datetime.now(timezone.utc).timestamp()),
'exp': int((datetime.now(timezone.utc) + timedelta(minutes=5)).timestamp()),
}
private_key = os.getenv("FHIR_PVT_FILE").replace("\\n", "\n")
compact_jws = jwt.encode(message, private_key, algorithm='RS384')
headers = {
'Content-Type': 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded',
}
data = {
'grant_type': 'client_credentials',
'client_assertion_type':
'urn:ietf:params:oauth:client-assertion-type:jwt-bearer',
'client_assertion': compact_jws
}
response = requests.post(EPIC_ENDPOINT + "/oauth2/token", headers=headers, data=data)
response_data = json.loads(response.text)
bearer_token = response_data['access_token']
return bearer_token
except Exception as e:
raise e
def get_api_headers():
try:
bearer_token = get_bearer_token()
return {
'Authorization': f"Bearer {bearer_token}",
'Accept': 'application/fhir+json'
}
except Exception as e:
raise eIn my case, I need to retrieve patient-related information using the Medical Record Number (MRN), and then obtain encounter and observation data, I followed these steps:
import requests
# OAuth 2.0 access token obtained earlier
access_token = “YOUR_TOKEN”
# Function to retrieve patient ID using MRN
def get_patient_id(mrn):
base_url = "https://fhir.epic.com/interconnect-fhir-oauth/"
search_url = f"{base_url}/Patient?identifier=MRN|{mrn}"
headers = {
"Authorization": f"Bearer {access_token}",
"Content-Type": "application/json"
}
response = requests.get(search_url, headers=headers)
if response.status_code == 200:
data = response.json()
if "entry" in data:
patient_id = data["entry"][0]["resource"]["id"]
return patient_id
return None
# Function to fetch encounters for a patient
def fetch_encounters(patient_id):
base_url = "https://fhir.epic.com/interconnect-fhir-oauth/"
encounter_url = f"{base_url}/Encounter?subject={patient_id}"
headers = {
"Authorization": f"Bearer {access_token}",
"Content-Type": "application/json"
}
response = requests.get(encounter_url, headers=headers)
if response.status_code == 200:
data = response.json()
if "entry" in data:
encounters = [entry["resource"] for entry in data["entry"]]
return encounters
return None
# Function to fetch observation data for an encounter
def fetch_observations(encounter_id):
base_url = "https://fhir.epic.com/interconnect-fhir-oauth/"
observation_url = f"{base_url}/Observation?encounter={encounter_id}"
headers = {
"Authorization": f"Bearer {access_token}",
"Content-Type": "application/json"
}
response = requests.get(observation_url, headers=headers)
if response.status_code == 200:
data = response.json()
if "entry" in data:
observations = [entry["resource"] for entry in data["entry"]]
return observations
return None
# Example usage
mrn = "123456" # Replace with the patient's MRN
patient_id = get_patient_id(mrn)
if patient_id:
encounters = fetch_encounters(patient_id)
if encounters:
for encounter in encounters:
encounter_id = encounter["id"]
observations = fetch_observations(encounter_id)
# Process observation data as needed
print(f"Encounter ID: {encounter_id}, Observations:
{observations}")
else:
print("No encounters found for the patient.")
else:
print("Patient not found.")
Using OAuth 2.0 authentication with SMART backend services ensures that your backend application can securely access patient information. Following our discussed steps, you can create a strong and compliant backend system that keeps sensitive data safe. Watch for more tips and tricks on using SMART backend services and OAuth 2.0 authentication to improve healthcare data security. With these technologies, you can significantly advance healthcare delivery and patient care.
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