HIMSS has partnered with IHE Catalyst to deliver an Interoperability Showcase at the 2024 HIMSS European Health Conference & Exhibition, scheduled for 29-31 May. The goal is to give a variety of stakeholders, like vendors and EU projects, a platform to demonstrate their solutions in a person-centred scenario that highlights services and activities that support better outcomes through standards-based, interoperable health information technology systems, platforms, and frameworks.

The upcoming adoption of the European Health Data Space regulation will be a key source for use cases and new requirements for health information exchange in Europe. The HIMSS Interoperability Showcase in Rome intends to promote early adopters and demonstrate technologies that have the capabilities of achieving the EU’s vision to unleash the full potential of health data.

EU’s Innovative Medicines Initiative project, Gravitate-Health, will focus on medication applications to demonstrate how printed patient information leaflets for medication can be replaced by tailored, personalised information based on the patient's International Patient Summary, a global standard for documenting and sharing essential health information.

Gravitate-Health’s "G-lens" is designed to incorporate multimedia content and questionnaires to share relevant health information that improves patients' understanding of their specific healthcare needs. This approach will create a more engaging and targeted method of conveying information about medication, improving treatment adherence and the overall patient experience.

Participants in the Interoperability Showcase will also have the chance to present their solutions in topic groups at the HIMSS24 Tech Leadership Stage in Rome. 

"As a global community, we have laid the foundation for an interoperable ecosystem," said Christina Caraballo, HIMSS vice president for Informatics, in a statement. "Now we are moving to the era of accessibility. As we continue to modernize and advance digital health, accessibility and access to health information is the future."

"For the first time in recent years, Europe has a sustainable vision for providing the best possible healthcare across Europe and enhance the wellness and health of all citizens," added Alexander Berler, IHE Catalyst's strategic business development director. "In this vision IHE acts as the catalyst for implementing the EHDS regulation across EU member states."

'Findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable'

The HIMSS24 Europe conference will also have a dedicated Data and Interoperability track.

"On this 10-year anniversary of the creation of the FAIR data principles, let's see how we are achieving 'Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable' across the EU region," said Lisa Thomlinson, senior director programming and content at HIMSS EMEA. "We will be talking about exemplary cross border collaborations and legislation such as the European Health Data Space, the International Patient Summary, the EEHRxF and the Global Digital Health Certification Network, and question how insights from data, greater interoperability, EHRs and HIEs, and regulation are enabling or preventing greater integration of care in the healthcare ecosystem."

Up next: IHE Connectathon in Trieste

Immediately after the HIMSS conference Rome, the IHE Catalyst team will relocate 400 miles to the northeast in order to launch IHE’s 25th anniversary European Connectathon in Trieste, scheduled for 3-7 June. While the emphasis in Rome is to demonstrate applications which already benefit from established data exchanges, Trieste will be more leading edge, according to IHE, with the goals of extending, developing and testing standards-based connections, and targeting a more technical audience. HIMSS looks forward to continuing to partner with IHE Catalyst during the IHE Connectathon in Trieste.

Heathcare IT News is a HIMSS publication.
To find out more about HIMSS24 Europe visit the event website.