In the Czech Republic, the current use of FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) for exchanging healthcare data is just beginning. No versions of FHIR (DSTU2, STU3, R4, R4B, R5, R6) are actively used yet. However, there's a strong expectation for significant growth in FHIR adoption in the coming years. The government has mandated the use of FHIR standards, showing a commitment to modernizing healthcare data exchange.

Rules and Support

  • Health Data Exchange Rules:
    • There is a regulation in place that mandates the use of standards in electronic health data exchange.
    • FHIR is specifically mandated by these regulations.
  • Deadlines and Compliance:
    • A compliance deadline is set, but no fines are imposed for missing it.
  • Funding:
    • Government funds are available to stimulate FHIR adoption, supported by the RRF funded national interoperability project.

National Setup

  • Standards Organization: Yes, the National eHealth Center is responsible for health data standards in the Czech Republic. National eHealth Center
  • Implementation Guides: A base/core FHIR Implementation Guide for the Czech Republic is under development. Czech FHIR IG
  • Terminology Services: A national FHIR terminology server is in development, indicating a move towards standardized healthcare terminology.

Active Use Cases

  • Local implementations of FHIR are underway, focusing on:
    • Referrals / Continuity of care
    • Terminology
    • Diagnostic Orders/Reports
    • Document Exchange
    • Imaging
    • Immunizations
    • International Patient Summary
    • European Implementation Guides These use cases highlight a commitment to a wide range of healthcare services and coordination.

Who's Using FHIR

Organizations actively involved with FHIR in the Czech Republic include:

  • Care providers
  • EHR system vendors
  • Diagnostic system vendors (like Imaging / Lab)
  • App developers They are adopting FHIR primarily for its potential to improve healthcare outcomes and support the regulation and grants.

Success Stories and Challenges

  • Benefits: While specific successes were not detailed, the anticipation of benefits such as cost savings, enhanced care coordination, and a robust digital health ecosystem is strong.
  • Challenges: A significant challenge mentioned is the lack of FHIR knowledge among stakeholders.
  • Future Plans: Looking forward, there's excitement for upcoming use cases like discharge reports, lab and imaging orders, and reports.

Future Plans

  • Progress: There's satisfaction with the progress made in FHIR adoption last year, meeting expectations.
  • Next Steps: Efforts will continue in developing a national FHIR data model and new FHIR standards for specific use cases. Pilot projects with selected stakeholders are ongoing.
  • Expected Changes: Within the next three years, significant benefits from FHIR adoption are anticipated, including cost savings and improved healthcare coordination.

Contributors

  • Permission was granted to use the name of Hynek Kruzik from HL7 Czech Republic as a contributor to this survey.

This document provides a concise overview of the current state and future expectations for FHIR adoption in the Czech Republic, emphasizing regulations, active use cases, and the broad participation of healthcare stakeholders.

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