Data from laboratory systems deliver the basis for diagnostic decisions, help patients manage chronic conditions, and make our healthcare systems more effective and efficient, if it can be delivered where and when it is needed. That’s why interoperability is needed.

In our “Labs-on-FHIR” webinar series, we are looking in November at the experience in Germany on their journey to implement FHIR in laboratory systems, navigating legacy systems and stakeholder engagement, and working in a complex political environment.

The webinar took place on Tuesday, 12 November 2024, online, free and open to the public.

Featured speaker is Prof. Sylvia Thun from Charité University Hospital Berlin’s Core Unit eHealth and Interoperability; Sylvia is also chair of HL7 Germany.

There was a panel of experts, and plenty of time for audience Q&A.

See also the presentation slides here.

The European Health Data Space will advance the adoption of international standards to advance healthcare interoperability, to improve healthcare for European citizens and to aggregate data for research and innovation. The actual adoption of standards happens on the ground, in national and regional healthcare systems.

In our HL7 Europe “Labs-on-FHIR” webinar series, we are looking this month at the experience in Portugal on their journey to implement FHIR in laboratory systems, navigating legacy systems and stakeholder engagement while implementing the recent HL7 Europe Laboratory Report Implementation Guide.

Featured speakers will be Filipe Mealha and Sara Marques Russo from SPMS, the Department for Shared Services of the Ministry of Health in Portugal. There will be a panel of experts, and plenty of time for audience Q&A.

Panellists will include: Alexander Henket, NICTIZ (NL), Jean-Michel Polfliet, eHealth Platform (BE), João Almeida, HL7 Portugal, Giorgio Cangioli, HL7 Europe

See also the presentation slides here.

The European Health Data Space is coming and with it the push to move health data across borders, both to improve healthcare for European citizens and to aggregate data for research and innovation. But health data interoperability requires careful coordination between international interoperability standards, and implementation at the local level. HL7 offers with its FHIR specifications (FHIR stands for "Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources") a powerful toolbox, and at the same time a worldwide community of experts and implementers committed to advancing the power of health data.

HL7 Europe is proud to host a webinar to feature the Dutch experience on their ongoing journey to implement FHIR, navigating legacy systems and stakeholder engagement while implementing the recent HL7 Europe Laboratory Report FHIR Implementation Guide (published in spring 2024 as the first IG developed specifically in and for Europe).

Featured speaker will be Alexander Henket from NICTIZ, the Dutch competence centre for digital health. There will be a panel of experts including Esther Peelen (NICTIZ), Bert Kabbes (HL7 Netherlands), Giorgio Cangioli, HL7 Europe

See also the presentation slides here.

Recording of a webinar about the Laboratory Report FHIR Implementation Guide

Moving your health information and communications to FHIR opens up a world of integrated and connected care, and better healthcare quality and safety for patients. But moving to FHIR can be a difficult journey, navigating moving targets and legacy systems, aligning powers and stakeholders, and managing hopes and expectations. Luckily, some have been there before and may offer insights and inspiration.

In this webinar we casted a spotlight on Belgium, which has come far on the journey to FHIR. Jean-Michel Polfliet, Standards & Interoperability Analyst at the Belgian eHealth Platform gave insights. a panel of experts delivered initial questions and comments, followed by an opportunity for audience Q&A.

The expert panel included Giorgio Cangioli (HL7 Europe), Reinhard Egelkraut (CGM Clinical, HL7 Austria TC FHIR), Maria Marques (UNINOVA Portugal), Alexis Van Zeveren, Medispring Belgium.

See also the presentation slides here.

The webinar was hosted and facilitated by Karolina Mackiewicz from the ECHAlliance.

Recording of a webinar about the Laboratory Report FHIR Implementation Guide

HL7 Europe recently published the Laboratory Report FHIR Implementation Guide (aka “FHIR Lab IG”), the first HL7 guide developed specifically by and for Europe. The FHIR Lab IG addresses one of the five priority health information domains of the European Electronic Health Record Exchange Format (EEHRxF), and will be a critical building block for the European Health Data Space enabling the sharing of electronic health data across the EU, using the MyHealth@EU infrastructure.

In this webinar, key players in the European standards community, HL7 experts and stakeholders will discuss the FHIR Lab Guide, its role in the EEHRxF, and the overall policy environment for digital health.

Speakers include:

• Giorgio Cangioli, HL7 Europe
• Jean-Michel Polfliet, Belgian eHealth Platform
• Verena Thaler, MedTech Europe
• Michaela Ziegler, ahdis (CH)

Commentators:

• Anderson Carmo, XpanDH Deputy project coordinator
• Catherine Chronaki, HL7 Europe, xShare technical coordinator

Host and facilitator: Michael Strübin, HL7 Europe

See also the presentation slides here.

This webinar is supported by the XpanDH and xShare projects.

Recording of a discussion during the HL7 Europe Working Group Meeting and HL7 FHIR Marathon Januars 2024 in Athens on Harmonizing European FHIR Base Profiles.

Topics dicussed:

• Challenges in proliferation of national base and core profiles (Mikael Rinnetmäki), chat link
• Cross IG statistics tool (Grahame Grieve), tool link
• Coalesced European Base Profile (Jens Villadsen) link to ImplementationGuide

See also the presentation slides here and the IPA track of the International FHIR Connectathon..

Recording of a discussion during the HL7 Europe Working Group Meeting and HL7 FHIR Marathon Januars 2024 in Athens on the European identity and trust architecture (eIDAS and EUDI wallets) and its relationship with SMART App Launch, SMART Health Cards, and SMART Health Links.

It includes

• a presentation on the topic (Giada Sciarretta)
• a presentation on sharing an International Patient Summary (IPS) document through SMART Health Links (University of Cyprus).

Recording of the HL7 Europe webinar "The HL7 EU FHIR Lab Report Connectathon track in Athens" of 15 December 2023. Slides (PDF) can be found here.

The HL7 Europe FHIR Implementation Guide for Laboratory Report: what it is, why it matters, and how to become involved. Recording of the HL7 Europe Webinar, 24 November 2023. Slides (PDF) can be found here.