In Argentina, FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) is beginning to play a significant role in healthcare data exchange. Currently, versions R4 and R4B are actively used, indicating a focus on newer standards of this global framework designed to enable healthcare information interoperability. There's an expectation of increased adoption in the coming years, signaling a positive outlook for FHIR's role in enhancing healthcare data exchange and integration in Argentina.

Rules and Support

  • Health Data Exchange Regulations: As of now, there are no specific regulations mandating the use of FHIR standards for electronic health data exchange in Argentina.
  • FHIR Requirements: No specific FHIR-related requirements are mentioned in current regulations.
  • Funding: There are no government funds available specifically aimed at stimulating the adoption of FHIR.
  • Regulation Details: A notable regulation, Resolution 115/2019, establishes the National Network of Health Interoperability and the Registry of Health Interoperability Domains. Resolution 115/2019

National Setup

  • Standards Organization: Currently, there is no national organization in Argentina responsible for health data standards.
  • Implementation Guides: Argentina has a base/core FHIR implementation guide being used in limited use cases, available at HL7 Argentina Guides.
  • Terminology Services: There is no national FHIR terminology server available yet, but there are plans to establish one.

Active Use Cases

  • Local Implementations: E-prescription is highlighted as a successful local implementation of FHIR.
  • International Standards Use: Argentina uses FHIR in areas like Prescriptions/Pharmacy, Provider Directory, Clinical Decision Support, Document Exchange, and Immunizations.
  • Key Projects: An upcoming project in Buenos Aires aims to implement e-prescription and document exchange for 40 million patients.

Who's Using FHIR

  • Active Organizations: Care providers, payers/insurers, and EHR system vendors are currently using FHIR in Argentina.
  • Main Reasons for Adoption:
    • Improving health outcomes
    • Improving care workflows
    • Driving innovation
  • Usage of FHIR: FHIR is mainly used through REST APIs, followed by documents, and is starting to be utilized in SMART on FHIR and CDS Hooks applications.

Success Stories and Challenges

  • Benefits:
    • Improved access to information
    • Enhanced care workflows through the use of ePrescription
  • Real Examples: The ePrescription system is a noted success story.
  • Main Difficulties:
    • Unclear regulations
    • Lack of FHIR knowledge
    • Changes in political direction
  • Future Plans: There are ambitions to expand FHIR's adoption in Buenos Aires for ePrescription and document exchange among a large patient base.

Future Plans

  • Progress So Far: The progress of FHIR adoption in Argentina has been less than expected.
  • Next Steps:
    • Development of new FHIR standards for specific use cases
    • Launch of pilot projects with selected healthcare stakeholders
    • New regulation that prescribes the use of standards in electronic health data exchange
  • Expected Changes: There is a neutral expectation regarding the benefits of FHIR adoption in the next three years, including significant cost savings and enhanced care coordination.

Contributors

  • Fernando Campos, HL7 Argentina, Chair

This document provides insights into the current state and future expectations of FHIR implementation in Argentina, highlighting the ongoing efforts and potential areas for improvement in healthcare interoperability.

The above summary is based on the answers to the State of FHIR Survey 2025, organized by Firely and HL7 International.

Este repositorio contiene todas las guias de implementación y perfiles desarrolladas en forma conjunta por HL7 Argentina y la DNSIS del Ministerio de Salud de la República Argentina