In Saudi Arabia, FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) is increasingly being used to exchange healthcare data. Currently, the most active FHIR version in use is R4, with a reported usage rating of 5 out of a possible 6. Survey respondents anticipate a continued growth in the adoption of FHIR in the coming years, highlighting a positive outlook for FHIR's role in improving healthcare interoperability.

Rules and Support

Saudi Arabia has established several regulations and supports to facilitate the adoption of FHIR standards:

  • Health Data Exchange Rules and FHIR Requirements
    • There is mandatory regulation in place that requires the use of standards in electronic health data exchange, specifically mentioning FHIR.
    • FHIR is mandated by the regulation.
  • Deadlines and Compliance
    • A compliance deadline exists, and fines are imposed for non-compliance.
  • Funding
    • There are no government funds currently available to stimulate the adoption of FHIR.
  • Regulation Details
    • Council Of Health Insurance Regulation

National Setup

  • Standards Organization
  • Implementation Guides and Terminology Services
    • No base/core FHIR implementation guide for Saudi Arabia is currently available.
    • A national FHIR terminology server's availability is unknown.
    • Other developed FHIR standards are mentioned for specific use cases like eClaims.

Active Use Cases

Local implementations and international standards use in Saudi Arabia include:

  • The entire eClaims system now uses standardized coding and messages through the Saudi Financial Services IG.
  • Medication prescription and e-appointments are also notable FHIR use cases.

Who's Using FHIR

Organizations actively using FHIR in Saudi Arabia span across several sectors:

  • Care providers
  • Payers/Insurers
  • EHR system vendors
  • Diagnostic system vendors, like Imaging/Lab
  • The main reasons for FHIR adoption include regulation and grants, improving business workflows, and enhancing healthcare outcomes.

Success Stories and Challenges

  • Benefits
    • Lowered cost
    • Improved healthcare outcomes
    • Enhanced access to information
    • Better care workflows and timeliness of care
  • Real Examples
    • The Saudi Financial Services IG for eClaims
  • Main Difficulties
    • Lack of FHIR knowledge
    • Changes in political direction
  • Future Plans
    • Clinical exchange and International Patient Summary (IPS)
    • Lab order and lab result integration with IHE

Future Plans

  • Progress So Far
    • The adoption of FHIR has made "far more progress than expected" in the last year.
  • Next Steps
    • Establishment of a national standards organization and development of a national FHIR data model are underway.
  • Expected Changes
    • Significant cost savings, enhanced care coordination, and a robust digital health ecosystem are anticipated benefits within the next three years.

Contributors

  • Permission was granted by one respondent to use their name when presenting the outcomes of this survey: Paul Knapp, President at Knapp Consulting Inc.

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