Merging multiple institutions: information architecture problems and solutions.

Amalgamating organizations face great challenges when trying to merge their formerly separate information systems. An architectural approach is essential in order to understand the business process and data implications of the new organization's business decisions and application choices. HL7 is useful as a common messaging standard, but does not help to reconcile conflicting local identifier coding systems. The Information Services department has an important role in catalyzing decisions about inconsistent business processes and conflicting universal coding systems within an enterprise framework.