The following is based on the answers to the State of FHIR survey 2023.

Regulation

In Thailand, FHIR has been mandated within the Primary Care Health Information Exchange (HIE) specifications, signaling a commitment to adopting this standard for health data interoperability. Although no compliance deadlines are imposed, the Thai Health Information Standards Development Center and the Ministry of Public Health's Strategy and Planning Division are taking strides to incorporate FHIR into the health IT ecosystem. The lack of research in health IT in Thailand means that many decisions may be based on expert opinion rather than data-driven analysis.

National Standards Development

While there is no national FHIR data model established, a few FHIR standards have been developed for specific use cases. An Implementation Guide (IG) for the Primary Care HIE specifications has been created and is available at fhir-ig.sil-th.org. The Thai Health Information Standards Development Center is notably active in this area, although the perception is that not many organizations consider FHIR's development a priority.

FHIR Implementation

The implementation of FHIR in Thailand is progressing, with projects such as HealthLink (healthlink.go.th) utilizing FHIR for improved data sharing and access to information. However, challenges such as high investment costs, unclear regulations, and a general lack of knowledge about FHIR persist, potentially hindering widespread adoption.

The survey respondent acknowledges that while they are involved in numerous projects utilizing FHIR, overall success in the country is still limited. There is recognition of a need for more significant development and education around FHIR to realize its full potential in improving healthcare outcomes.

In Thailand, the push towards FHIR adoption and development is underway, with the hope for more comprehensive implementation in the future.