Secure and seamless access to health data across systems and provider boundaries is essential for delivering high-quality care and enhancing efficiency in the Norwegian healthcare sector. However, the lack of standardization and available machine interfaces has hindered innovation and slowed the development of a robust health data ecosystem. We believe that a renewed focus on establishing a foundational level of interoperability for EHR systems is a step in the right direction.

Oslo Municipality, alongside over 100 other municipalities in Norway, is planning significant investments in new EHR systems in the years to come. As part of this process, we are working to include a common API as a key criterion in our tender requirements. To achieve this, representatives from municipalities, standards organizations, and vendors have been working to develop a HL7 FHIR Implementation Guide as a proposed solution. 

This presentation will delve into the core information elements and operations that the proposed specification addresses, offering insights into the practical challenges and lessons learned throughout the development process. Additionally, we will explore similar initiatives in other countries, with a special focus on the European electronic health record exchange format (EEHRxF)