In Ireland, FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) is currently being utilized to some extent for exchanging healthcare data, indicating a foundational use within the healthcare IT infrastructure. Among the FHIR versions, R4 is notably in use, marked with a usage score of 4. There is an anticipation of a significant increase in FHIR adoption in the coming years, suggesting a strategic move towards enhancing healthcare data interoperability.
Rules and Support
- Health Data Exchange Rules and Regulations:
- Ireland has regulations in place mandating the use of standards for electronic health data exchange.
- Specific mention of FHIR in these regulations is unclear.
- Compliance deadlines are included, but without fines for non-compliance.
- Available Funding:
- It's not clear if government funds are available to support FHIR adoption.
- Relevant Legislation:
- EHDS Regulations & Health Information Bill: View Details
- Health Information Bill: View Details
National Setup
- Standards Organization:
- Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA): Visit HIQA
- Implementation Guides:
- Currently, there is no base/core FHIR implementation guide for Ireland.
- Terminology Services:
- A national FHIR terminology server is in planning but not yet available.
Active Use Cases
- Local Implementations: National Health App based on FHIR.
- International Standards Use: European Implementation Guides are in use.
Who's Using FHIR
- Active Organizations:
- Health Service Executive (HSE)
- Main Reasons for Adoption:
- Regulation and grants
- Improving health outcomes
- Enhancing care workflows
- Driving innovation
- How FHIR is Used:
- For developing EHR (Electronic Health Record) systems
- By app developers for creating health applications
- In clinical registries
Success Stories and Challenges
- Benefits:
- Improved access to information through the National Health App.
- Challenges:
- A notable lack of FHIR knowledge among stakeholders
- Requires strategic and governance directions
- Future Plans:
- Looking forward to the Shared Care Records use case.
Future Plans
- Progress So Far:
- Ireland has made more progress than expected in the last year regarding FHIR adoption.
- Next Steps:
- Development of a national FHIR data model.
- Launch of pilot projects with selected healthcare stakeholders.
- Expansion of FHIR adoption across the healthcare ecosystem.
- Expected Changes:
- Significant cost savings, enhanced care coordination, and a robust digital health ecosystem anticipated within the next three years due to FHIR adoption.
Contributors
- Patrick Marren - MyHealth@EU Team Lead at Health Service Executive
The above summary is based on the answers to the State of FHIR Survey 2025, organized by Firely and HL7 International.