In Australia, FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) is increasingly being adopted for healthcare data exchange. Currently, it's being used moderately across the country, with Version R4 being the most acknowledged among its releases. The adoption rate is expected to rise significantly in the coming years, fueled by both local enthusiasm and governmental support.

Rules and Support

  • Health Data Exchange Rules: Regulations are in place to guide electronic health data exchange, though they may not specifically mention FHIR.
  • FHIR Requirements: While not always explicitly required, FHIR's use is encouraged through various initiatives.
  • Deadlines and Fines: Some regulations include compliance deadlines and fines for non-adherence, indicating a structured approach towards standardization.
  • Available Funding: Government funds are available to stimulate FHIR adoption, such as the Sparked FHIR Accelerator and detailed regulations available at legislation.gov.au.

National Setup

  • Standards Organization: The Australian Digital Health Agency is a key player, with more details at digitalhealth.gov.au.
  • Implementation Guides: A base/core FHIR implementation guide is available for limited use cases, accessible here.
  • Terminology Services: Australia has a national FHIR terminology server in production, supporting the consistent use of medical terms and codes.

Active Use Cases

  • Local implementations include referrals/continuity of care, document exchange, and provider directories.
  • International standards like the International Patient Summary are being adopted.
  • Key projects such as the National Clinical Terminology Service and the National Cancer Screening Register showcase FHIR’s utility in enhancing data quality and access.

Who's Using FHIR

  • Organizations: Care providers, EHR system vendors, and diagnostic system vendors are actively using FHIR.
  • Reasons for Adoption: Improving health outcomes, enhancing care workflows, and fostering innovation are main drivers.
  • Usage: FHIR is employed in a variety of ways, from data exchange to supporting the development of healthcare apps.

Success Stories and Challenges

  • Benefits: Significant improvements in healthcare outcomes and access to information have been reported, thanks to FHIR’s role in projects like the National Clinical Terminology Service.
  • Examples: The use case of the My Health Record system demonstrates FHIR’s impact on national health records.
  • Difficulties: Unclear regulations and a lack of FHIR knowledge are notable challenges.
  • Future Plans: Plans include further implementation of patient summaries, e-requesting for diagnostics, and modernization of health record infrastructure.

Future Plans

  • Progress So Far: Australia has made more progress in FHIR adoption than expected, with a growing community of over 1100 members.
  • Next Steps: Development of new FHIR standards for specific use cases and pilot projects with healthcare stakeholders are underway.
  • Expected Changes: In the next three years, significant benefits such as cost savings and enhanced care coordination are anticipated, fostering a robust digital health ecosystem.

Contributor details are not included as per survey response preferences.

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