The following is based on the answers to the State of FHIR survey 2023 from Mario Enrique CORTES, HL7 Colombia.

Regulation

Colombia is progressing toward integrating FHIR, backed by Resolution 866 of 2021 and Law 2015 of 2020, which establish the framework for health data exchange but do not specifically mention FHIR. The government has set a deadline for digital health compliance by December 31, 2025. Current reforms proposed by the government could alter the landscape for digital health, yet the existing framework supports the adoption of interoperability standards.

National Standards Development

HL7 Colombia and ICONTEC are key organizations driving FHIR adoption and the development of standards. Efforts are underway to create a FHIR Core Colombia Implementation Guide, with the first half of 2022 seeing its publication on HL7 Colombia's website, and two additional specifications expected by the end of 2023. These initiatives demonstrate a collaborative effort within the Colombian health community to embrace FHIR.

FHIR Implementation

The adoption of FHIR is poised for growth, with HL7 Colombia leading the charge in creating Implementation Guides and fostering consensus among stakeholders. Successful use cases include Covid-19 immunization reporting and adverse event notifications (ESAVI), with other sectors like insurance and IT vendors, such as Salud SURA and DigitalWare, also engaging with FHIR.

Patient advocacy groups, including the Committee of Patients of HL7 Colombia and Pacientes Colombia, are actively involved, ensuring patient perspectives are included in the standard's development and implementation.

Challenges such as unclear regulations, lack of FHIR knowledge, and basic technological infrastructure needs are being addressed through educational efforts and the development of specific Implementation Guides for domains like cardiology and oncology.

The community's commitment, spearheaded by HL7 Colombia and its member organizations, underlines a strong future for FHIR in Colombia.