Resources for Decision Makers

Resources:

• Successfully engaging individuals in digital health requires effort in areas such as governance, consumer digital literacy, individual enrollment, health record integration as well as the technical patient access enabled by IPA. The Global Digital Health Partnership’s International Insights on Individual Engagement contains a survey of efforts across the globe.
• The 2024 State of FHIR® Adoption Survey report summarizes and analyzes the use of the HL7® FHIR® standard across 29 countries.
• The WHO’s National eHealth Strategy Toolkit may help jurisdictions develop and implement an eHealth strategy, including enabling greater digital patient access.
• The Global Digital Health Monitor provides potentially useful indicators for national digital health maturity.

The below Request For Proposal can be used as a starting place to ensure that enterprise health it software supports IPA by HL7 FHIR as part of the tender process.

Sample Request for Proposal (RFP) Content for EHR or Enterprise Health IT Software with Support for HL7 FHIR International Patient Access (IPA)

1. Project Objectives
   The primary objectives of IPA support are to:
   • Enhance patient empowerment by enabling selective, patient-controlled consent for health data sharing.
   • Ensure secure and interoperable health data exchange across various healthcare systems and providers.
   • Comply with international standards and regulations for data protection and privacy.
2. Scope of Work
   The vendor must provide a comprehensive EHR or enterprise health IT software solution that includes:
   • Support for HL7 FHIR IPA: Full integration and compliance with the HL7 FHIR International Patient Access project standards, allowing for seamless and secure data sharing with patient-controlled consent.
3. Technical Requirements
   The proposed solution must meet the following technical requirements as defined in the HL7 FHIR IPA Implementation Guide:
   • Data Exchange and API Requirements:
     • Implement the FHIR RESTful API framework.
     • Support FHIR Version 4.0.1 or later.
     • Support SMART on FHIR 2.0, as defined in IPA
   • Core FHIR Resources:
     • Support for essential FHIR resources, including but not limited to:
       • Patient
       • Encounter
       • Condition
       • Observation
       • Medication
       • Procedure - DiagnosticReport - DocumentReference
   • Interoperability:
     • Adhere to the HL7 FHIR standard for interoperability between different health systems and applications.
4. Vendor Requirements
   Vendors must demonstrate the following qualifications:
   • Proven experience in developing and implementing health IT solutions with HL7 FHIR standards.
   • Expertise in data security and privacy, with a track record of compliance with and participation in international standards.

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