In Denmark, FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources, a standard for exchanging healthcare data) is used for a few specific use cases. It is not yet the main standard for health data exchange, but interest among decision-makers is growing.

The active version of FHIR in Denmark is R4. Other versions are not in noticeable use at this time.

Looking ahead, we expect a strong increase in FHIR adoption over the coming years.

Rules and Support

Denmark currently has limited formal backing for FHIR adoption:

  • There is no regulation that mandates the use of standards in electronic health data exchange.
  • Because there are no mandates, there are no deadlines or fines tied to FHIR use.
  • There are no government funds available to stimulate FHIR adoption.

FHIR is gaining traction with decision-makers, but no legislation specifically supports its use yet.

National Setup

Denmark has a clear national structure for health data standards:

  • Standards organization: MedCom leads work on health data standards in Denmark.
  • Core FHIR implementation guide: A national base guide exists and is used in a limited set of use cases. You can find it at hl7.dk and the HL7 Denmark core FHIR guide.
  • Terminology services: A national FHIR terminology server is not yet available, but one is in planning.

Active Use Cases

FHIR specifications are being developed in Denmark for several specific areas:

  • Referrals and continuity of care
  • Diagnostic orders and reports
  • Document exchange
  • Telemedicine

Denmark also builds on international work, including:

  • International Patient Access
  • European Implementation Guides
  • IHE profiles (Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise, a set of profiles that describe how to use standards together)

Who's Using FHIR

The main groups adopting FHIR in Denmark are:

  • EHR (electronic health record) system vendors
  • App developers
  • Government agencies

The main drivers for adoption are:

  • Improving care workflows
  • Giving patients better access to their data

In terms of how FHIR is used, FHIR Messaging and the FHIR REST API see some adoption, along with SMART on FHIR (a way to launch apps inside health record systems). FHIR Shorthand, a simple language for writing FHIR profiles, is used more widely. Software in use tends to lean toward open source.

Success Stories and Challenges

Successful FHIR projects in Denmark have improved access to information and care workflows. Concrete examples include:

The main challenges slowing wider adoption are:

  • High investment cost
  • Unclear benefits
  • Lack of FHIR knowledge in the workforce

On AI, the view in Denmark is that AI does not replace the need for structured data. Most agree that investing in FHIR remains important, even as AI tools improve.

Future Plans

Over the past year, Denmark has made the progress expected, though overall satisfaction with the adoption rate is low. Key achievements include:

  • Development of new FHIR standards for specific use cases
  • Expanded adoption of FHIR across the healthcare ecosystem

In the coming year, we expect:

  • New pilot projects with selected healthcare stakeholders
  • Further expansion of FHIR adoption across the system

Looking three years ahead, there is agreement that Denmark will start to see real benefits from FHIR, including better care coordination and a stronger digital health ecosystem.

Contributors

The contributor to this survey response chose to remain anonymous.

The above summary is based on the answers to the State of FHIR Survey 2026, organized by Firely and HL7 International.