In Finland, the adoption of FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) for exchanging healthcare data is currently at a developing stage, with a usage level rated at 2 on a scale where higher numbers indicate greater adoption. The most actively used version of FHIR in Finland is R4, indicating that healthcare stakeholders are beginning to implement more recent standards for data exchange. Despite the slow start, expectations for increased adoption in the coming years are moderate, with a hopeful outlook towards expanded use across the healthcare sector.

Rules and Support

The Finnish healthcare system is moving towards standardizing data exchange with FHIR playing a significant role:

• Health Data Exchange Rules: Regulations mandate the use of standards in electronic health data exchange.
• FHIR Requirements: The regulation specifically mentions FHIR as a mandated standard.
• Deadlines: A compliance deadline is set, although no fines are imposed for missing it.
• Funding: No government funds are currently available to stimulate the adoption of FHIR.
• Regulations Details: Specifications related to the central healthcare infrastructure Kanta are partially FHIR-based. More information can be found at Kanta Specifications.

National Setup

The framework for healthcare data standards in Finland includes:

• Standards Organization: The national organization responsible for health data standards is linked through THL and HL7 Finland.
• Implementation Guides: A base/core FHIR implementation guide for Finland is available for a limited set of use cases at Finnish Base Profiles.
• Terminology Services: No national FHIR terminology server is available, and there are no plans to develop one currently.

Active Use Cases

Local implementations and projects utilizing FHIR include:

• Prescriptions/Pharmacy
• Document Exchange
• Patient Access
• International Patient Access
• Scheduling and social welfare services

These use cases highlight the practical applications of FHIR in facilitating healthcare services and information exchange.

Who's Using FHIR

The primary adopters of FHIR in Finland are:

• EHR (Electronic Health Records) system vendors
• App developers
• Government agencies involved in centralized data storage

These organizations are leveraging FHIR for its flexibility in supporting healthcare data exchange, particularly in scenarios where traditional document-based approaches are insufficient.

Success Stories and Challenges

While specific success stories were not mentioned, the challenges facing FHIR adoption in Finland include:

• High investment costs
• Changes in political direction

These challenges reflect broader issues in implementing new technology standards within the healthcare industry.

Future Plans

The outlook for FHIR in Finland includes:

• Continued development of FHIR standards for specific use cases
• Some dissatisfaction with the current pace of adoption, with hopes for more rapid progress in the future
• Concerns that the European Health Data Space (EHDS) regulation may temporarily slow momentum

Despite these challenges, there remains a cautious optimism for the role of FHIR in enhancing healthcare interoperability and innovation in Finland.

Contributors

Survey response provided by Mikael Rinnetmäki, Founder of Sensotrend Oy.

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