At first glance, the use of healthcare data to support organizational objectives and deliver digital services to patients may appear straightforward. Comparisons with successful digital initiatives in other sectors often prompt the question of why similar approaches cannot be readily adopted in healthcare. However, the handling and use of healthcare and patient data present a distinct set of complexities. Organizations must navigate multiple, and often competing, objectives, including data protection, ethical considerations, regulatory compliance, clinical safety, and service effectiveness. A clear understanding of how these objectives interact and where conflicts may arise is essential for the successful development and implementation of digital health services

Healthcare data interoperability is a cornerstone of digital transformation in healthcare, yet its realization is frequently impeded by fragmented technical, organizational, regulatory, and clinical perspectives, as well as misaligned expectations, unclear governance structures, and limited cross-sector collaboration. Within the European Union, these challenges are further shaped by evolving regulatory frameworks and large-scale policy initiatives, most notably EHDS, which places new demands on secure data sharing, secondary use of health data, and cross-border interoperability. Against this backdrop, this research-focused presentation integrates the distinct needs and perspectives of academia, industry, and healthcare providers to demonstrate how multidisciplinary knowledge co-creation can support the initiation and strategic planning of healthcare data interoperability initiatives.

The presentation draws on a newly launched healthcare data interoperability research project at Halmstad University, conducted in close collaboration with multiple industrial and healthcare partners, including Region Halland, Capio Ramsay Santé, Mölnlycke Healthcare, InterSystems, and Avenga. The overarching aim of the project is to demonstrate how interoperability can be operationalized within information-driven care through the use of standardized healthcare data models such as openEHR and OMOP CDM, while embedding principles of data reliability, clinical validity, regulatory compliance, and EHDS alignment. Participants will gain insights into practical methods for fostering cross-sector collaboration and for overcoming organizational, technical, and regulatory barriers to interoperability within the emerging EHDS initiatives.