REST API
A REST API is a common, web-based standard for software to exchange data using simple requests over HTTPS.
REST is the most widely used style of API on the web. A REST API lets software send requests like create an appointment or fetch a patient record, and get structured data back, usually as JSON. Most modern integrations are built on REST.
For a practice, the value is not the acronym. It is that a well-documented REST API means your PIMS can connect to other tools, and developers can build on it without special access.
OpenVPM exposes selected client, patient, appointment, SOAP-note, and agent workflows through a documented /api/v1 REST API. The dashboard uses a broader internal application interface, so dashboard functionality is not automatically available through REST.
See how OpenVPM does it
OpenVPM is the open-source veterinary PIMS. Free to self-host, with a targeted REST API, public schema, and portable data. The demo is live with instant email access and no sales call.