In Poland, FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) is starting to make its mark in the healthcare data exchange landscape. Currently, adoption is moderate but with notable interest in the latest version, R4, indicating a readiness to embrace more advanced healthcare data standards. Expectations are set high for the coming years, with a significant push towards increased FHIR adoption, driven by regulatory requirements and the healthcare sector's demand for better interoperability.

Rules and Support

  • Health Data Exchange Rules: Poland has regulations mandating the use of standards in electronic health data exchange.
  • FHIR Requirements: The regulation specifically mentions that FHIR is mandated.
  • Deadlines: There are compliance deadlines included within these regulations.
  • Available Funding: Currently, there are no government funds available to stimulate the adoption of FHIR.
  • Regulation Details: One key regulation mentioned is the obligatory reporting of medical events. More information can be found on CEZ official website.

National Setup

  • Standards Organization: The national organization responsible for health data standards in Poland is available with more details at CEZ.
  • Implementation Guides: A base/core FHIR implementation guide is under development, indicating ongoing efforts to standardize FHIR's use in Poland.
  • Terminology Services: While there is no national FHIR terminology server yet, there are plans to establish one, highlighting the future direction of FHIR infrastructure in Poland.

Active Use Cases

  • Local implementations of FHIR in Poland cover several specific areas, including:
    • Terminology
    • Diagnostic Orders/Reports
    • Imaging
    • Provider Directory
    • International Patient Summary
    • European Implementation Guides These areas showcase the versatility and adaptability of FHIR to various healthcare data exchange needs.

Who's Using FHIR

  • Active Organizations:
    • Care providers
    • EHR system vendors
    • Diagnostic system vendors, like Imaging / Lab
  • Main Reasons for Adoption:
    • Regulation and grants
    • Innovation
  • How They're Using FHIR: The primary use of FHIR seen is through the REST API, indicating a preference for web-based access to healthcare data.

Success Stories and Challenges

  • Benefits:
    • Improved access to information, specifically mentioned was the reporting of medical events.
  • Real Examples: Reporting of medical events as a successful use case.
  • Main Difficulties:
    • Unclear benefits and regulations
    • Changes in political direction
  • Future Plans: Looking forward to the ordering of diagnostic services, highlighting an interest in expanding FHIR's use in healthcare processes.

Future Plans

  • Progress So Far: The adoption of FHIR in Poland has made less progress than expected, with a neutral satisfaction level regarding the current adoption rate.
  • Next Steps: Development of a national FHIR data model and new FHIR standards for more specific use cases are underway, alongside launching pilot projects with selected healthcare stakeholders.
  • Expected Changes: In the next three years, significant benefits from FHIR adoption are anticipated, including cost savings, enhanced care coordination, and a more robust digital health ecosystem.

Contributors

  • Roman Radomski, Chair at HL7 Poland, has contributed to this survey. His insights offer a valuable perspective on the current and future state of FHIR in Poland.

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