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Hello freshworkers =)

We're experiencing a major issue with our healthcare data processing pipeline where API integrations with external services are breaking our sequential workflow automations.

The problem is that we currently have 89 automated data processing workflows because we serve multiple healthcare facilities, each requiring their own patient data handling protocols. Some of these workflows include external API calls, for example, sending biometric data to research databases or pushing VR therapy session results to electronic health record systems.

When Workflow #15 out of 89 has an API integration to send therapeutic VR session data (from our platform at https://socialdream.fr) to a patient management system, and its conditions are met as True, the API call is initiated. This works perfectly - the data gets transmitted successfully. However, the remaining 74 workflows in the queue never execute, even if they have completely different triggers and might be critical for other patients.

Setting timeouts doesn't solve this either, as our workflow engine processes automations sequentially. If one workflow has a pending API call, it waits for completion before moving to the next automation in the queue.

Has anyone else encountered this issue with healthcare data processing systems? We've opened a support ticket with our platform vendor, but they suggested this might be intentional behavior for "data integrity"...?

This limitation completely defeats the purpose of having modular API integrations. Everything worked smoothly before we implemented the new HL7 FHIR integrations, but those are now mandatory for compliance reasons.

The only workaround seems to be consolidating all external API calls into a single massive workflow at the end of the queue, but this would be a maintenance nightmare since we'd need to merge all our facility-specific integrations into one monolithic process.

Anyone found a better solution for handling sequential healthcare data workflows with external API dependencies?

The only time I’ve had issues similar to what you're talking about was because a trigger event was wrong or because they aren’t in sequential order, the workflows have to be in the order that they would need to trigger and can’t have an ending api that would trigger a new workflow, that is called looping and freshservice doesn’t support it. (example set dropdown to yes and the next automator triggers off of the field being selected as yes.)

On the same thread have you looked into building a connector app?  They are pretty straightforward to build and work differently then the automators.  You can find them in apps, manage apps, custom connector.  There is a training video on the Freshservice Academy.  It seems like this would be a better case for this. There is an independent charge for them.

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