Progress of the project "Design and Implementation of the Greek National eHealth Interoperability Framework”

Improvement, governance and streamlining of the health system as well as for the improvement of the management of treatment outcomes. via: Harmonization of the process of exchange and use of health data. Supporting the adoption and implementation of the National Electronic Healthcare Record. Facilitate the provision of health services for both health professionals and citizens by codifying clinical documents.

The design and implementation of the Greek National eΗealth Interoperability Framework (NeHIF) has started in February 2020, with the support of European Commission’s DG REFORM that has been setup to help the EU Member States with the preparation of growth-enhancing structural reforms, targeting effectiveness and efficiency in governance and administration. The Greek NeHIF is being implemented according to European directives, regulations and international standards and will be the cornerstone of the new Greek Digital Health Program of 344 Million Euros until 2025.

For the first time, the Greek government addresses the interoperability issue in the health sector, by launching the development and adoption of a National eHealth Interoperability Framework, one that complies with the European ReEIF. Interoperability is both a prerequisite and a driver in the deployment of digital health services, as it necessitates the elimination of professional, cultural, organizational and technical boundaries. In line with the EU strategy, the Greek NeHIF is addressing challenges on all interoperability levels: legal and regulatory, organizational (including policies and processes), technical (systems and applications) and semantic. Stakeholders from the strategic, tactical and operational levels have created a vibrant digital health ecosystem.

The design and implementation of the national ehealth interoperability framework (SRSS / SC2019 / 164 “Design and implementation of the national ehealth interoperability framework (NeHIF)”) has been implemented since February 2020 ( implemented by KMPG and IHE Europe) with the support of the European Agency for Structural Reforms DG REFORM / SRSS) with the aim of designing and implementing the Greek National Framework for Interoperability in e-health and the wider support of the implementation of the digital transformation of the Ministry of Health. In short, this project aims to support the management of health data as well as e-health services, which are considered vital for the improvement, governance and streamlining of the health system as well as for the improvement of the management of treatment outcomes. via:

• Harmonization of the process of exchange and use of health data with good European and international practices based on international standards and integration profiles
• Supporting the adoption and implementation of the National Electronic Healthcare Record
• Facilitate the provision of health services for both health professionals and citizens by codifying clinical documents.

This project has already completed the first two phases of the project which concerned:

• leveraging good practices, taking into account systematic good practices developed by international organizations, the EU and its Member States,
• the analysis of 10 and more usage scenarios in terms of interoperability and their prioritization in a road map
• the selection of 2 use scenarios, the collection of laboratory results in primary health care and in hospitals for which comprehensive national interoperability standards have been prepared based on international standards and European directives.
• Propose a governance framework for interoperability in e-health.
• In the creation of working groups for the creation of these specifications with the active participation of executives from at least 26 software manufacturers, through their associations and scientific bodies (SEPE, SEPE, ESPY, SEKEE, SEV, HL7 Hellas), but also the balanced participation of all of the parties involved.
• In the implementation of education and training actions of executives of the health units but also of the executives of the market in matters of interoperability, international standards and specifications of data exchange.