The HL7 Europe Working Group Meeting 2025: Advancing FHIR in Europe
24.03.25 | Michaela Ziegler
As the Digital Health Consultant at ahdis and Technical Manager for HL7 Switzerland, I was delighted to have the opportunity to take part in the most recent HL7 Europe Working Group Meeting (WGM). Under discussion was the use of FHIR® (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) in Europe, particularly within the context of the European Health Data Space Regulations (EHDS).
The EHDS is intended to “Unlock the future of health data in Europe” as part of the European strategy for data. It is intended to facilitate cross-border healthcare services; enable secure health data to be exchanged and re-used; and to support patients, researchers, innovators and regulators.
All this requires national standards to be harmonized. The European Electronic Health Record Exchange Formats (E-EHRxF) are essential to successful implementations of the EHDS. Which is why HL7 Europe, along with various national and European organizations, is actively working on these standards to pave the way for interoperability.
EHDS regulations are also a key driver behind important initiatives that are familiar to anyone embedded in digital healthcare, including:
European Lab Report
European Patient Summary
Medication Prescription and Dispense
Hospital Discharge Report
Imaging Report
Common Cancer Model
We are now in the initial phase of implementing the EHDS in the EU. It was therefore highly beneficial to have the opportunity at the WGM to participate in working group meetings focused on refining the HL7 Europe FHIR implementation guides in precisely these areas – a key prerequisite for the technical realisation of the EHDS objectives.
Switzerland’s Role in European Initiatives
There are of course regular HL7 Europe project meetings throughout the year, in which ahdis participates. These meetings focus on topics like Lab Report, Medication and Patient Summary, which allows us to contribute Swiss expertise and experience. It is also one of the ways in which we stay aligned with European developments, and ensure compatibility between Swiss and European data-exchange formats.
The in-person discussions at the WGM felt very similar to these project meetings — deep dives into real-world problems, learning from different country perspectives, and striving for common solutions. The key advantage of the WGM was having a full week dedicated to these topics, allowing for much more detailed and in-depth conversations.
Lessons from Across Europe
Hearing about different national approaches to FHIR implementation was another valuable aspect of the meeting. Countries are at different stages, each with their own priorities and challenges. The discussions provided insights into other European projects, as well as lessons learned, best practices to adopt and — importantly — pitfalls to avoid.
These exchanges were incredibly valuable. Having so many experts in one place was a unique and enriching experience, and there were a number of direct takeaways that I can apply in my daily work.
IHE and HL7: Strengthening Collaboration
IHE-Europe was also present at the WGM, and outlined a joint strategy with HL7 Europe to align IHE testing frameworks with EHDS requirements. The goal is to provide vendors with a structured pathway for specification development, early testing and full deployment in products.
An upcoming milestone in this process will be the IHE-Europe Plugathon, which will feature an EHDS track at June’s IHE-Europe Connectathon 2025 in Vienna.
Key Takeaways
Participation in these events is invaluable — it keeps me up to date with the latest developments and allows me to actively contribute.
The HL7 community is truly inspiring, with dedicated experts working constructively to improve interoperability.
Switzerland remains aligned with European approaches and, through continued engagement, we can maintain this compatibility in the future.
The work is time-intensive, but worth the effort — the insights gained and the ability to influence the direction of standards make it a worthwhile investment.
The EHDS creates urgency for European projects, and advancing these efforts is critical for ensuring interoperability.
This WGM reaffirmed my commitment to actively shaping the future of FHIR and interoperability in European healthcare. I look forward to continuing these discussions and contributing to our joint progress.