Welcome to HL7 Australia. We are a membership-based not-for-profit public company limited by guarantee that exists to facilitate adoption of e-health in Australia by promoting effective use of standards and products developed by HL7 International and supporting their enhancement to meet local needs.
Australia has been an early driver for the internationalisation of HL7.
HL7 Australia began in Australia in 1998 under the auspices of Standards Australia IT-14 Health Informatics Committee.
In May 2002, it was first incorporated independently as the HL7 Australasia User Group.
In March 2010 the name changed to HL7 Australia; and in December 2019 HL7 restructured, becoming a limited company.
HL7 Australia Ltd remains the local affiliate of HL7 International. Our members are representative of those using and benefiting from HL7 Standards in Australia.
HL7 Australia Ltd continues to make an important and significant contribution to the work of HL7 International and global health informatics standards development more generally.
HL7 Australia’s objects are to:
Create a collaborative and open community, developing interoperability standards and promoting their adoption to support and enhance world leading healthcare in Australia
In late 2020 the Board of HL7 Australia convened a series of workshops with members and stakeholders to input into a strategy for the company for the coming three years (2021-2023).
Four strategic objectives emerged:
For each of these strategic objectives, a series of actions and deliverables have been identified and indicative prioritisation given to these. To view the 2021-25 strategic plan please click here.
The HL7 Australia Board is a volunteer board responsible for supporting a collaborative and open community in Australia to develop interoperability standards.
The members of the HL7 Australia Board for 2020/21 are:
Managing Director at Oridashi Term expires: Sept 2022
Senior Consultant Digital Health CRC
Term expires: Sept 2022
Director Enterprise Architecture at eHealth NSW
Term expires: Sept 2022
Chief Technology Officer (CTO) & VP of products
Olinqua
Term expires: Sept 2022
Principal Consultant, Saludax
Term expires: Aug 2023
Director DIgital Health - Health Sector Standards & Integration of Care, Victorian Department of Health Term expires: Aug 2023
Principal, Health Intersections Pty Ltd Term expires: Aug 2023
Business Development Manager, Product Manager
Term expires: Aug 2023
HL7 Australia has four Work Groups, broadly modelled after their HL7 International counterparts, these are:
HL7 Australia Work Groups, modelled after their HL7 International counterparts are:
Orders & Observations: This group was formed as one of its first by HL7 Australia to address transmission of observation requests and reports. It mirrors the Hl7.org working group.
The mission of the Orders and Observation work group is to define information exchange capabilities to support the order/scheduling and clinical event management/reporting requirements between the stakeholders in healthcare organizations regarding patients, non-patients, people, other species, or inanimate objects. These information exchanges are not limited to intra-organizational transactions, but cross organizational boundaries. These information exchanges may involve messages, documents, services, profiles and other HL7 constructs.
The initial focus is pathology but as for the Hl7.org O&O the scope may cover general observations, findings, impressions recorded as quantitative, qualitative, codes, or narrative text. HL7 v2 is now being used for such content in Australia.
The Orders & Obs Co-chairs are:
Patient Administration: The Australian Patient Administration Work Group is currently active in producing FHIR profiles that cover how to represent the PA resources for use in the Australian context. Most notably profiles for Patient and Practitioner and their Identifiers.
The Patient Admin Co-chairs are:
Medications: The HL7 Australia Medication Work Group provides a forum for stakeholders and interest parties to contribute and discuss matters related to clinical and technical contents of medication information.
The mission of this WG is to assure that these medication information contents:
The Medications Co-chairs are:
Child Health: The Child Health Work Group supports the HL7 Australia mission by defining the requirements and specifications to support interoperable information exchanges of child health data, including birth records, immunisations, health checks, observations and developmental milestones.
The Child Health Co-chairs are:
The Board of HL7 Australia expresses thanks to these individuals and their supporting organisations for their participation and future contribution to the growth of a new Australian Standards Development Initiative.
The Board is planning a program of monthly events for members and interested parties. Keep an eye on our News posts for updates.
If you missed our latest event on 1 December 2021, when Grahame Grieve will host Playing with FHIR author, Alissa Knight, and John Moerhke (Co-Chair HL7 International Security Group), for a panel discussion about Alissa’s report, responses to it and what we should learn about API and App security, you can view the recording here.
HL7 International runs events for more information Click here
In recognition of their sustained contribution and commitment to the development of HL7 standards, HL7 Australia recognises the following individuals as honorary life members:
Life Membership is conferred on an individual by the Board (by simple majority) at a General Meeting.
Since 2019, HL7 Australia as an association limited by guarantee which places us under federal legislation that clearly outlines all member and director rights and responsibilities. We suggest you familiarise yourself with the rules governing our new association here.
We wish to draw your attention to the obligation that HL7 Australia now carries to make primary contact details of all members available to every member. This is to allow any member to gain enough support to call a General Meeting. By becoming a member, you agree to your contact details being shared in line with federal legislation.
Additionally HL7 Australia is required under the constitution to charge all new members a one-off fee of $10 that limits your liability as a member to $10. Once paid, this fee will not be charged on renewal of a membership. For accounting purposes please note this payment is GST exempt.
A policy decision of HL7 Australia is to charge all members that are not renewing their membership a $10 administration fee (inc GST). This will be taken from the initial $10 deposit to simplify administration, rather than refunding that $10 deposit on lapse or termination of membership.
HL7 standards support clinical practice and the management, delivery, and evaluation of health services, and are recognized as the most commonly used in the world.
To view and access HL7 International Standards click here.
For more information about the HL7 standards process, please read Understanding the Standards Process.
To access localized HL7 standards and the Australian Base FHIR Implementation Guide click here.
On 31 May 2022 at a General Meeting of HL7 Australia members unanimously passed a special resolution amending the constitution...
Read MoreMark the date in your diary, 28 September 2022. Are you or your organisation not a member yet? Join here...
Read MorePursuant to clauses 20.1 and 23 of the Constitution and Part 2G.2 of the Corporations Act, notice is hereby given...
Read MoreThe liability of members is limited to $10, a one-off fee we include at the time of initial joining.
HL7 Australia Secretariat
Secretariat
Lvl 24 | Tower 3 | International Towers,
300 Barangaroo Avenue
Sydney NSW 2000
Email: secretary@hl7.com.au
HL7 International
Health Level Seven International.
Suite 227
3300 Washtenaw Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48104, USA
Tel: +1 734 677 7777
Email: hq@hl7.org Web: www.hl7.org
If you are interested in healthcare interoperability and have any questions about getting involved in HL7 Australia please contact us.
