In Slovenia, FHIR is used for a few specific healthcare data exchange cases. It is not yet the main standard, but adoption is growing.

The active version of FHIR in use is R4. Some early work with R4B is also visible.

Respondents expect FHIR adoption to increase in the coming years, especially as Slovenia aligns with European Union regulations like the European Health Data Space (EHDS).

Rules and Support

Slovenia has rules in place for electronic health data exchange. Here is what you need to know:

  • Regulation exists: The Healthcare Databases Act requires healthcare providers to use the national electronic health record (EHR) system. Local systems must align with national technical specifications.
  • FHIR mentions: The regulation does not directly require FHIR, but FHIR is being advised. The national digital health authority decides on the standards used.
  • Deadlines and fines: Compliance deadlines exist, and fines may apply if providers do not meet them.
  • Funding: There are no specific government funds to support FHIR adoption.

You can read more here:

National Setup

Slovenia has organizations and tools that support health data standards:

  • National organization: The National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) plays a key role in health data standards.
  • HL7 Slovenia: This group promotes FHIR adoption and helps develop national implementation guides. Visit HL7 Slovenia or the academic medical informatics group for more information.
  • Base FHIR guide: A national core FHIR implementation guide exists and is used for a limited set of cases. It is shared with national stakeholders through Simplifier, but it is not fully public yet.
  • Terminology server: A national FHIR terminology server is in development.

Active Use Cases

FHIR specifications are being developed in Slovenia for several areas:

  • Referrals and continuity of care
  • Diagnostic orders and reports
  • Consent
  • Patient access
  • Scheduling
  • Document exchange
  • Contact details, care teams, and episodes of care

Slovenia builds on international work, including:

  • The International Patient Summary
  • European Implementation Guides
  • IHE profiles (international healthcare integration profiles)

A concrete example is the CRPP, the national registry of patient data.

Who Is Using FHIR

The main groups working with FHIR in Slovenia include:

  • Care providers
  • EHR system vendors
  • App developers
  • Government agencies
  • Medical informatics non-profit organizations

The main reasons for adoption are:

  • Meeting regulations and using available grants
  • Improving care workflows
  • Giving patients better access to their data

When it comes to how FHIR is used, the FHIR REST API (a way for systems to share data over the web) is the most common method. Other approaches like FHIR Messaging, FHIR Documents, and tools like SMART on FHIR are not yet widely adopted.

Successes and Challenges

Successes:

  • Better access to health information
  • Improved care workflows
  • A working national patient data registry (CRPP)

Challenges:

  • High investment costs
  • Limited FHIR knowledge among professionals
  • Unclear regulations
  • Shifts in political direction

Most FHIR software in use is open source, though some proprietary tools are also in place.

Future Plans

Progress so far has been mixed. Some respondents feel adoption matched expectations, while others feel it was slower than hoped.

In the coming year, Slovenia expects to:

  • Develop a national FHIR data model
  • Build new FHIR standards for specific use cases
  • Launch pilot projects with selected healthcare stakeholders

Looking ahead, FHIR APIs are expected to play a bigger role as Slovenia aligns with EU rules like the European Health Data Space.

On the FHIR Community Process (FCP), a framework for shared FHIR specifications, Slovenia already has approved specifications. More organizations are expected to join as participants in the next few years.

Contributors

  • Brane Leskošek, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Medicine / HL7 Slovenia
  • One contributor chose to remain anonymous

The above summary is based on the answers to the State of FHIR Survey 2026, organized by Firely and HL7 International.