In Austria, FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) is increasingly being utilized for healthcare data exchange. The adoption of FHIR versions R4, R4B, and R5 is notable, with these versions receiving a rating of '4' on a scale indicating their usage level. The country anticipates a significant increase in FHIR adoption in the coming years, reflecting optimism about its potential benefits for the healthcare system.

Rules and Support

• Health Data Exchange Rules:
  • There is regulation mandating the use of standards in electronic health data exchange.
  • FHIR is not specifically mentioned in the regulation.
  • A compliance deadline is set, but no fines are imposed for non-compliance.
• FHIR Requirements and Deadlines:
  • While FHIR is encouraged, it's not explicitly required by current regulations.
• Available Funding:
  • No government funds are currently available to stimulate the adoption of FHIR.
• Regulation Details:
  • Law for ELGA: https://www.elga.gv.at/faq/gesetzliche-grundlagen-von-elga/

National Setup

• Standards Organization:
  • HL7 Austria is responsible for health data standards. https://hl7.at/
• Implementation Guides:
  • A widely used base/core FHIR implementation guide is available. https://fhir.hl7.at/
• Terminology Services:
  • A national FHIR terminology server is in production, supporting standard terminologies and codes.

Active Use Cases

• Local implementations include mobile apps for eVaccination and various vendor product implementations.
• Use of international FHIR standards like IHE Profiles based on FHIR.
• Key projects involve Prescriptions/Pharmacy, Provider Directory, Public Health Reporting, Document Exchange, Terminology, and Scheduling.

Who's Using FHIR

• Active organizations include care providers and EHR system vendors.
• Main reasons for adoption are to improve access to information and care workflows, and to foster innovation.
• FHIR is being used for document exchange, public health reporting, and terminology services, among other applications.

Success Stories and Challenges

• Benefits:
  • Improved access to information and care workflows through mobile apps and product implementations.
• Real Examples:
  • Mobile App for ELGA eVaccination and science programs for CQL.
• Main Difficulties:
  • High investment cost and the challenge of migrating existing eHealth infrastructure and data to FHIR.
• Future Plans:
  • Looking forward to the adoption of FHIR in ELGA and the development of new FHIR standards for specific use cases.

Future Plans

• Austria has made far more progress in FHIR adoption than expected.
• Next steps include the launch of pilot projects with selected healthcare stakeholders and expanded adoption of FHIR across the healthcare ecosystem.
• Expected changes include significant cost savings, enhanced care coordination, and a more robust digital health ecosystem in the next three years.

Contributors

• Permitted to use the name of Reinhard Egelkraut from HL7 Austria.

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