In Malaysia, the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standard is being actively used to exchange healthcare data. The most prominent FHIR version in use is R4, indicating a mature level of adoption within certain healthcare applications. The country anticipates significant growth in FHIR adoption in the coming years, driven by increasing recognition of its benefits for healthcare data interoperability.

Rules and Support

  • Health Data Exchange Rules:
    • There is regulation mandating the use of standards for electronic health data exchange.
    • FHIR is recognized but not specifically mentioned in these regulations.
    • There are no deadlines or fines imposed for non-compliance.
  • FHIR Requirements:
    • While not explicitly required, FHIR is increasingly being utilized.
  • Funding:
    • No government funds are currently available to stimulate FHIR adoption.
  • Regulatory Body:

National Setup

  • Standards Organization:
    • Malaysia has a national organization responsible for health data standards, linked here.
  • Implementation Guides:
    • A base/core FHIR implementation guide is available for Malaysia, used in a limited set of use cases, accessible here.
  • Terminology Services:
    • A national FHIR terminology server is in production, enhancing support for standardized healthcare terms and codes.

Active Use Cases

  • FHIR is implemented in several specific use cases in Malaysia, including:
    • Prescriptions/Pharmacy
    • Referrals/Continuity of care
    • Provider directory
    • Terminology
    • Diagnostic Orders/Reports
    • Consent
    • Document Exchange
    • Immunizations
    • Patient Access
    • International Patient Summary

Who's Using FHIR

  • Organizations:
    • Care providers and EHR system vendors are actively using FHIR.
    • App developers are also engaged with FHIR for healthcare applications.
  • Reasons for Adoption:
    • FHIR is used for improving health outcomes and care workflows.

Success Stories and Challenges

  • Benefits:
    • FHIR has facilitated improved access to information and improved care workflows, notably in continuity of care and care coordination.
  • Challenges:
    • The main challenges include a lack of FHIR knowledge and changes in political direction.
  • Future Plans:
    • Malaysia looks forward to implementing FHIR in healthcare financing among other areas.

Future Plans

  • Progress:
    • The country has seen less progress than expected in the last year regarding FHIR adoption.
  • Next Steps:
    • Efforts are underway for the development of a national FHIR data model and new FHIR standards for more specific use cases.
  • Expected Changes:
    • There is a strong belief that, within the next three years, FHIR adoption will lead to significant cost savings, enhanced care coordination, and a more robust digital health ecosystem.

Contributors

  • Permission granted to use the name of the survey respondent: Azrin Zubir, Program Coordinator at SIL Malaysia.

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