How do we integrate with the EHR? What telehealth solution enables launch-in-context from Epic or Cerner?

For Epic or Cerner (now Oracle Health), the standard pattern for launch-in-context telehealth integration is a SMART on FHIR EHR launch. This lets a clinician click a telehealth workflow inside the EHR and open the video visit application with the correct user, patient, and encounter context without a separate login.

Integration architecture

Typical flow:

1. Provider opens a patient chart in Epic or Cerner
2. Provider clicks a configured telehealth link/button
3. EHR launches the telehealth app with:
   • OAuth launch token
   • FHIR server URL (iss)
   • patient context
   • encounter context
   • clinician identity/context
4. Telehealth platform exchanges the launch token via SMART on FHIR OAuth
5. Platform:
   • starts or joins the video session
   • retrieves needed patient/encounter data
   • optionally writes back documentation, encounter status, notes, or appointment information via APIs

Epic documents this as an EHR Launch SMART on FHIR workflow, where the EHR passes a launch token and FHIR endpoint information to the application. fhir.epic.com Cerner/Oracle Health follows the same SMART on FHIR launch model.

Telehealth solutions that support Epic/Cerner launch-in-context

Common enterprise options include:

If you are building your own telehealth product

You generally need:

Epic

• Register through Epic App Orchard / Epic developer ecosystem
• Implement:
  • SMART on FHIR EHR Launch
  • OAuth 2.0 authorization code flow
  • FHIR R4 APIs
  • Epic-specific workflow configuration (for example, embedded app launch or context-aware linking depending on workflow)
    

Cerner / Oracle Health

• Register through the Oracle Health developer ecosystem
• Implement SMART on FHIR launch
• Configure launch from workflows such as PowerChart

Data exchange commonly supported

Read from EHR

• Patient demographics
• Encounter details
• Practitioner identity
• Appointment information
• Clinical context needed for the visit

Write back (depending on permissions/workflow)

• Encounter updates
• Visit completion status
• Notes/documents
• Scheduling information

Choosing a solution

• Need a turnkey enterprise virtual care platform: Amwell, Teladoc Health, Zoom for Healthcare
• Need embedded video infrastructure: Pexip or Zoom
• Need inpatient virtual nursing/tele-rounding workflows: Caregility
• Building a custom telehealth product: implement SMART on FHIR EHR Launch directly

The key requirement to ask vendors is: “Do you support SMART on FHIR EHR launch with patient and encounter context from Epic Hyperspace/Hyperdrive and Oracle Health PowerChart?” That distinguishes true launch-in-context integration from a simple video link.

Integrating a telehealth solution with major Electronic Health Records (EHRs) like Epic and Oracle Health (Cerner) to support a launch-in-context relies on the SMART on FHIR framework combined with OAuth 2.0.

How EHR Integration (Launch-in-Context) Works

1. The EHR Launch Flow:
   • A clinician opens a patient’s chart inside the EHR (e.g., Epic Hyperspace or Cerner PowerChart).
   • The clinician clicks an embedded button, tab, or sidebar link for the telehealth application.
   • The EHR launches the web-based telehealth application (via an iframe or companion window) and passes a secure launch context containing the patient ID, encounter ID, practitioner ID , and the FHIR server base URL.
2. Authentication & Authorization:
   • Your app redirects the user to the EHR’s OAuth 2.0 authorization server.
   • The app exchanges the authorization code for a time-limited, cryptographically signed access token scoped specifically to that patient and user session.
3. Data Exchange & Write-Back:
   • Using FHIR R4 APIs, your application pulls relevant demographic or clinical data to prepopulate the visit.
   • Post-visit, the telehealth platform writes the encounter details, clinical notes, and time logs directly back to the EHR chart via FHIR or HL7 v2, closing the documentation loop.

Telehealth Solutions Enabling Launch-in-Context

Several enterprise-grade and third-party telehealth platforms feature native or pre-built integrations supporting single-click launch-in-context from Epic and Cerner:

• Zoom for Telehealth: Offers a certified integration listed on the Epic App Orchard and Zoom marketplace, enabling clinicians to launch and manage video visits directly from scheduled appointments inside Epic.
• Microsoft Teams (EHR Connector): Connects natively into Epic and Cerner environments, allowing clinical users to initiate virtual visits straight from the EHR workflow while supporting browser or app-based entry for patients.
• Amwell Platform: Provides enterprise-level integration framework APIs that pull patient connection status, launch virtual visits from Epic Hyperspace, and write visit reports back into the medical record.
• Custom SMART on FHIR Web Apps: Many organizations build or configure proprietary/white-labeled video applications (leveraging developer tools like Twilio programmable video APIs) and formally register them through Epic App Orchard or the Oracle Health Code Developer Program.

Are you looking to build a custom telehealth application using SMART on FHIR, or do you want to evaluate commercial third-party platforms that are already pre-certified in the App Orchard?

Integrating with major Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems like Epic and Oracle Health (formerly Cerner) relies on standardized interoperability frameworks rather than building custom, fragile point-to-point plumbing for every hospital site.

How to Integrate with Epic or Cerner/Oracle Health

The modern, universally accepted approach to EHR integration uses the SMART on FHIR framework (Substitutable Medical Applications, Reusable Technologies) combined with HL7 FHIR R4 APIs and OAuth 2.0 for security.

1. Register Your Application: Join the vendor’s formal developer program—Epic’s App Orchard or Oracle Health’s Cerner Code Console / Ignite program.
2. Provision Sandbox Environments: Use the vendor-provided testing sandboxes (such as the Epic Open Sandbox or the public SMART Health IT Launcher ) to test authentication and API data retrieval.
3. Configure Launch Sequences & Scopes: Implement an EHR Launch sequence. When a clinician clicks your app inside the EHR, the system passes an authenticated launch token containing the active user, patient, and encounter context directly to your application.
4. Legal & Security Review: Complete the mandatory organizational onboarding, which includes security vetting, signing a Business Associate Agreement (BAA), and formal app review before moving to production deployment.

Telehealth Solutions with Launch-in-Context Capabilities

Several enterprise telehealth platforms and video solutions natively support launch-in-context workflows directly from Epic (Hyperspace/Hyperdrive) and Oracle Health/Cerner (PowerChart):

• Amwell Platform: Offers robust EHR integration that enables providers to launch scheduled and on-demand virtual visits directly inside Epic or Cerner with single sign-on (SSO) and auto-updates via APIs.
• Zoom for Telehealth (Epic FHIR Integration): Formally integrated via Epic's ecosystem, allowing clinicians to launch secure Zoom video sessions straight from a patient's appointment schedule in Epic Hyperspace while maintaining chart documentation.
• Microsoft Teams (EHR Integration): Integrates directly with Epic's workflow through the App Orchard, allowing clinicians to initiate virtual appointments from the patient record without context switching.
• Native / Vendor-Specific Options: Epic features built-in web-based telehealth options utilizing cloud video APIs (like Twilio), while Oracle Health provides integrated virtual visit capabilities natively tied into the Cerner Millennium infrastructure.

If you're planning an implementation, tell me:

• Are you building a custom telehealth application or looking to buy/integrate an existing commercial platform?
• Do you need support specifically for Epic, Oracle Health (Cerner), or both?

I can provide a more tailored technical checklist or scope requirement breakdown.

The industry-standard approach is to integrate through SMART on FHIR EHR Launch, which provides:

• Single sign-on (SSO): The clinician is already authenticated in the EHR, so they are not prompted to log in again.
• Launch-in-context: The EHR passes the current patient, user, encounter, and other launch context to the application.
• FHIR API access: After the SMART OAuth flow completes, your application can securely access the patient's clinical data according to the permissions granted.

For the major EHRs:

• Epic: Supports SMART on FHIR EHR Launch through its developer ecosystem. An app can be launched directly from the patient's chart, schedule, or other configured workflows while preserving patient context.
• Oracle Health (formerly Cerner): Also supports SMART on FHIR EHR Launch, allowing applications to launch from PowerChart and other clinical workflows with patient context.

Telehealth platforms that commonly support launch-in-context with Epic and/or Oracle Health include:

• Zoom for Healthcare
• Amwell
• Teladoc Health
• Pexip
• Microsoft Teams (through healthcare integrations)

These solutions generally use the same SMART on FHIR launch pattern, allowing clinicians to start a video visit directly from the patient's chart while automatically carrying over patient and provider context. The exact workflow and certification vary by EHR and health system deployment.

A typical workflow looks like this:

1. The clinician opens a patient's chart in Epic or Oracle Health.
2. They click the telehealth application or "Video Visit" button.
3. The EHR launches the application using SMART on FHIR.
4. The application receives the patient and user context, completes OAuth, and opens the telehealth session without requiring another login.
5. After the visit, documentation, scheduling, and encounter data can be exchanged through FHIR APIs (and, where needed, additional EHR-specific interfaces).

If you're evaluating vendors, the key capabilities to look for are:

• SMART on FHIR EHR Launch
• Launch-in-context (patient, encounter, provider)
• Single sign-on
• Epic and Oracle Health/Cerner certification or marketplace availability
• Support for FHIR R4 APIs and relevant clinical workflows.

For integration with major U.S. EHRs such as Epic and Oracle Health (formerly Cerner), the standard approach is to build a SMART on FHIR application that supports EHR launch (launch-in-context).

Recommended integration architecture

1. SMART on FHIR EHR Launch

   • The clinician clicks your application from within the EHR.
   • The EHR launches your application with:
     • an iss parameter (FHIR server URL)
     • a one-time launch token
   • Your application completes the OAuth 2.0 authorization flow and receives:
     • user identity
     • patient context
     • encounter context (when available)
     • FHIR access token
   • Your application can immediately retrieve patient information through FHIR APIs without requiring the clinician to search for the patient again.

2. EHR registration

   • Epic: Register through Epic's developer ecosystem (formerly App Orchard) and configure a SMART launch endpoint.
   • Oracle Health/Cerner: Register the application in Oracle Health's developer program and configure SMART launch from PowerChart or other clinical workflows.

Telehealth solutions that support launch-in-context

Several enterprise telehealth platforms support SMART on FHIR launch from Epic and/or Oracle Health, including:

• Zoom for Healthcare
• Amwell
• Teladoc Health
• Pexip
• Microsoft Teams (through healthcare integrations)

These platforms generally allow a clinician to launch directly from the patient chart with patient context already established, avoiding duplicate patient lookup and reducing workflow friction.

Typical workflow

1. Clinician opens a patient chart in Epic or Oracle Health.
2. Clicks the telehealth application.
3. The EHR performs a SMART on FHIR launch.
4. The telehealth application receives patient and user context.
5. The application opens the virtual visit already associated with the correct patient and encounter.
6. Clinical documentation and other FHIR-based data exchange can occur through the EHR APIs, depending on the permissions granted.

If you're building your own telehealth platform rather than purchasing one, SMART on FHIR EHR Launch is the interoperability pattern expected by both Epic and Oracle Health for launch-in-context workflows.

Integrating a third-party application or a telehealth solution with major Electronic Health Records (EHRs) like Epic or Oracle Health (formerly Cerner) relies on standard interoperability frameworks.

How to Integrate with Epic or Cerner

1. Register in Developer Programs: Set up a developer account via the Epic Connection Hub or the Oracle Health Developer Console (for Cerner) to gain sandbox credentials.
2. Implement SMART on FHIR: Build your application to use the SMART App Launch Framework combined with HL7 FHIR R4 APIs and OAuth 2.0 (with PKCE) . This allows your app to handle authorization securely without managing hospital credentials.
3. Handle Launch Context: Use an EHR Launch sequence where the clinician triggers your application from inside the native EHR interface (such as Epic's sidebar or Hyperspace/Hyperdrive layout). The EHR automatically passes context parameters like the patient ID, encounter ID, and user ID to your app upon launch.
4. Complete the Marketplace Review: Submit your integration through formal marketplace processes—such as the Epic Showroom / App Orchard or Oracle Health’s validation gallery—to clear security and workflow compliance reviews for production deployment.

Telehealth Solutions with Launch-in-Context

Major enterprise telehealth providers offer pre-built, certified integrations supporting launch-in-context (EHR launch) for both Epic and Cerner/Oracle Health:

• Amwell (American Well): Provides robust clinical telehealth integrations via the Epic Showroom that embed video visits directly within the patient chart and support workflow actions like one-click joining and remote camera control.
• Teladoc Health (Solo / InTouch): Offers enterprise-grade EHR integration frameworks designed to launch virtual care encounters straight from provider scheduling and chart interfaces in Epic and Oracle Health.
• Epic Native Telehealth: Epic also supplies its own embedded web-based telehealth service leveraging cloud video architectures (such as Twilio APIs) natively inside its ecosystem, allowing visits directly in context without a separate third-party vendor.
• Zoom for Healthcare / Microsoft Teams for Healthcare: Both feature specialized EHR connector extensions that support SMART on FHIR launch workflows, letting clinicians initiate secure video sessions straight from the patient's active chart context.

If you're planning an integration, let me know:

• Are you building a custom telehealth app or looking for a third-party commercial vendor?
• Do you need to prioritize Epic, Oracle Health (Cerner) , or both?

I can provide more targeted architectural steps or vendor recommendations.

Integrating with Electronic Health Records (EHRs) like Epic and Cerner to enable "launch-in-context" (single sign-on, patient context passing, and embedded video) is primarily achieved through SMART on FHIR standards and approved vendor marketplaces (e.g., Epic Connection Hub, Oracle Health Code).

Several platforms specialize in providing this seamless, embedded telehealth experience:

Telehealth Solutions with Launch-in-Context

• Zoom for Healthcare: Offers integrated options for both Epic and Cerner. It allows providers to launch video sessions directly from the EHR scheduling screen, supports patient waiting rooms, and integrates clinical documentation workflows.
• Amwell: Known as a preferred digital care platform provider, it offers embedded telehealth solutions within Cerner Millennium and Epic, facilitating seamless patient intake, single sign-on, and direct video launch from the EHR.
• Doxy.me: Known for being embedded within Cerner workflows as a flexible, third-party telemedicine option.
• eHealth Connect® (on FHIR®): Enables users to launch tools directly from Epic to streamline log in, request, and review processes.

How to Integrate with EHRs (Epic/Cerner)

1. SMART on FHIR: Utilizing SMART (Substitutable Medical Applications, Reusable Technologies) on FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) is the standard method for launching third-party apps within an EHR user interface.
2. Marketplace Onboarding: Solutions must be vetted through Epic's Connection Hub or Oracle Health Code to be authorized.
3. Launch-in-Context: This process passes the context (e.g., patient ID, provider token) from the EHR, so the user doesn't need to log in separately to the telehealth platform.
4. API Integration: Utilizing Cerner Ignite APIs for real-time patient data exchange and workflow synchronization.

Telehealth Approach Comparison

• Epic: Tends to offer a native video visit platform through MyChart , which is highly integrated, though they support external apps (like Zoom) through the App Orchard.
• Cerner (Oracle Health): Often relies on third-party partnerships (like Amwell or Zoom) integrated through Oracle Ignite APIs , offering high flexibility.

To provide a more tailored recommendation, are you looking to use a native EHR solution (like Epic MyChart) or a third-party, specialized tool (like Zoom/Amwell)?

Also, I can help you with the specific onboarding steps for either the Epic App Orchard or Oracle Health Code if you have a preference.

The standard approach is to integrate through SMART on FHIR, which supports launch-in-context from major EHRs such as Epic and Oracle Health (formerly Cerner). This allows a clinician to open your application directly from the patient's chart without logging in again, while securely passing the current clinical context.

A typical integration works like this:

• The clinician clicks your app from within the EHR.
• The EHR launches your application with SMART launch parameters (including iss and launch).
• Your application completes the SMART OAuth 2.0 authorization flow.
• The EHR returns an access token and launch context (such as patient, encounter, and user, depending on permissions).
• Your application uses FHIR APIs to retrieve or update clinical data within the scope granted by the organization.

For the EHR platforms you mentioned:

If you're selecting or building a telehealth platform, look for one that supports:

• SMART on FHIR EHR launch
• OAuth 2.0/OpenID Connect
• FHIR R4 APIs
• Single sign-on (SSO)
• Context passing (patient, encounter, practitioner)
• Browser or embedded launch from within the clinician workflow

This enables the provider to start a telehealth session directly from Epic or Cerner while maintaining patient context, rather than requiring a separate login or manual patient search.

In practice, many enterprise telehealth vendors advertise Epic and Oracle Health integrations using this model, but it's important to verify that they support embedded SMART launch-in-context rather than only scheduling or calendar integrations.

If you're evaluating vendors, a useful question to ask is:

"Do you support SMART on FHIR EHR launch with patient and encounter context from Epic and Oracle Health (Cerner), including single sign-on and launch-in-context from the patient chart?" That question usually distinguishes a true in-workflow integration from a basic interoperability connection.

For a modern EHR integration, the standard approach is SMART on FHIR EHR Launch. Both Epic and Oracle Health (formerly Cerner) support this model, allowing your application to launch directly from the clinician's workflow with single sign-on and patient context.

A typical integration looks like this:

• Authentication: SMART on FHIR using OAuth 2.0.
• Launch-in-context: The EHR launches your application and passes a launch token along with the FHIR server (iss). Your application exchanges the token for an access token and receives user, patient, and often encounter context without requiring another login.
• Data access: Use FHIR APIs (Patient, Encounter, Practitioner, Appointment, Observation, etc.) to retrieve and update clinical data according to the scopes granted.

For the major EHRs:

• Epic

  • SMART on FHIR EHR Launch
  • Distribution through Epic's App Orchard ecosystem
  • Can launch from patient charts, schedules, and other configured workflows with user and patient context.

• Oracle Health (Cerner)

  • SMART on FHIR EHR Launch
  • Registration through Oracle Health's developer program
  • Launch from PowerChart and other Oracle Health clinical workflows using the same SMART launch pattern.

Telehealth platforms that support launch-in-context

Several enterprise telehealth platforms support or can be configured for SMART on FHIR launch with Epic and/or Oracle Health:

If you're building your own telehealth application

The recommended architecture is:

1. Register the application with Epic App Orchard and/or Oracle Health.
2. Implement SMART on FHIR EHR Launch.
3. Support OAuth 2.0 authorization code flow.
4. Receive patient and encounter context from the EHR.
5. Launch your video session while remaining inside the clinician's workflow.
6. Use FHIR APIs to retrieve demographics, appointments, and other clinical information, and optionally write documentation back where supported.

This approach is generally the most portable across health systems because it follows the SMART on FHIR standard rather than relying on vendor-specific APIs. There is still some EHR-specific configuration (such as adding launch buttons and workflow placement), but the authentication and context-passing model remains largely consistent across Epic and Oracle Health.

Integrating with EHRs like Epic and Cerner involves utilizing modern API standards (FHIR), authentication protocols (OAuth 2.0), and leveraging SMART on FHIR frameworks for launch-in-context capabilities. Amwell is a prominent telehealth solution that enables launch-in-context for both Cerner Millennium and Epic, allowing providers to launch video visits directly within the EHR workflow.

How to Integrate with EHRs (Epic/Cerner)

Integration involves mapping data and setting up secure, real-time connections:

• SMART on FHIR: This framework is used to embed third-party apps directly within the EHR, allowing them to "launch in context," meaning the telehealth app automatically knows which patient and provider are active.
• FHIR APIs: Modern APIs enable bidirectional, real-time data exchange for scheduling, patient data, and clinical notes.
• HL7 v2/v3 Interfaces: For legacy or specific systems, HL7 interfaces are used for exchanging clinical documents and data.
• Integration Platforms (EiPaaS): Solutions like Vorro's BridgeGate use no-code mapping to help integrate data between systems.
• Authentication: OAuth 2.0 is used for secure, authorized access to patient data.
• Sandbox Testing: Developers must use Epic's App Orchard or Cerner's developer environments to test and validate integrations.

Telehealth Solutions with Launch-in-Context

The following solutions enable seamless integration within Epic or Cerner workflows:

• Amwell: Offers an embedded telehealth solution that allows providers to launch video consultations directly within Cerner Millennium and Epic workflows, eliminating the need for dual screens.
• Cerner Telehealth: (Now Oracle Health) Provides an embedded virtual care platform directly in the Cerner Millennium EHR system.
• Epic Virtual Care: Offers native support for integrating video visits, patient portals, and remote monitoring directly within its environment.

Key Steps for Successful Integration

1. Request Interface Specification: Get the specific specification documents (ISD/FDD) from the EHR vendor.
2. Define Use Case: Determine if the focus is on scheduling, data exchange, or video consultation.
3. Use Sandbox: Develop against the EHR's sandbox environment.
4. Map Data: Create a field-level mapping between the telehealth system and EHR (HL7 segments or FHIR resources).
5. HIPAA Compliance: Ensure a BAA is in place.

To provide a more tailored answer, I can:

• Tell you which, specifically, Amwell or Cerner Telehealth is better for small clinics vs. large hospitals.
• Detail the specific API calls needed for a FHIR-based launch.
• Compare launch-in-context for Epic specifically vs. Cerner.

Which of these would be most helpful?