The following is based on the answers to the State of FHIR survey 2023 from Eva Sabajova, Slovak National Health Information Centre.

Regulation

In Slovakia, the adoption of FHIR is anticipated, particularly with the European Health Data Space (EHDS) regulation expected to make FHIR mandatory for defined use cases. The current standard is ISO 13606, as specified by Decree 107/2015 of the SK Ministry of Health about healthcare IT standards, which does not explicitly mention FHIR. Details regarding compliance deadlines or fines for not meeting the standards remain unclear.

National Standards Development

The Slovak National Health Information Centre is the key organization involved in health data standards, including the potential integration of FHIR. Although there is no national FHIR data model or specific FHIR standards for Slovakia at this time, the country is moving towards piloting FHIR implementation use cases, such as Hospital Discharge reports within the XpanDH project.

FHIR Implementation

FHIR has not yet been widely adopted in Slovakia, with the rate of current use being minimal. However, there is a clear recognition of the high investment cost and the need to build FHIR knowledge within the country. These are seen as significant factors that will influence the pace and success of FHIR's adoption.

While no specific patient advocacy groups focusing on health data standards were mentioned, the country's overall drive toward regulation and innovation in healthcare suggests an underlying support for improved healthcare outcomes and access to information through standards like FHIR.

With impending EHDS regulations, Slovakia is poised to embrace FHIR more fully in the healthcare sector, aligning with broader European trends toward standardized health data exchange.