As we head into the second half of 2024, we can reflect on the enormous gains and delivery achievements we have made. Interoperability is almost a household word and conversations about the Sparked FHIR Accelerator and FHIR occur without the need for an interpreter! I want to share with you, the HL7 Australia community, some of the achievements the Board of HL7 Australia is proud to have facilitated in the advancement of standards awareness and adoption over the past months.
Governance
Australia now has an Australian FHIR Management Framework (AFMF) to support FHIR standards development in Australia. Following several months of open consultation, the public version of the AFMF was published in May 2024.
The AFMF incorporates the Australian FHIR Community Process (AFCP) modelled on and consistent with HL7 International’s FHIR Community Process (FCP). The AFCP is a resource for developers of Australian FHIR Implementation Guides (IGs) which aims to:
- Generate Australian FHIR® IGs which are consistent, compatible, interoperable, scalable, extensible, reusable, safe, readily implementable, and build towards a coherent Australian health information architecture, no matter who develops them;
- Further develop, maintain, and promote the Australian FHIR® Core Implementation Guide;
- Build community awareness of existing FHIR® IGs and the purposes for which they are fit;
- Provide community confidence in Australian FHIR® IGs so that they will be widely implemented and used; and
- Consolidate, expand and enhance a world-leading Australian FHIR® community sufficient to meet the health sector’s needs.
The AFCP will be guided and managed by the Australian FHIR Coordination Committee (AFCC), a committee delegated by HL7 Australia to oversee the ongoing development and application of the AFMF. Led by Grahame Grieve as Chair and David Rowlands as Deputy Chair, the AFCC has representation from:
- the Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA)
- the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC)
- the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
- the Medical Software Industry Association (MSIA)
- the HL7 Australia Board
- the HL7 Australia FHIR Work Group
and technical and clinical expertise from across digital health.
Upcoming ballot
Through the work of the HL7 Australia FHIR Work Group, the AU Base and AU Core FHIR Implementation Guide interoperability specifications will be aligned with the AFCP and will be balloted in August and published as working standards in early 2025. The heavy lifting for these specifications has involved many from across the Australian and international FHIR communities, engaged and supported through the DoHAC funded and CSIRO-led Sparked program.
The HL7 Australia Board is keen to encourage all interested stakeholders to participate in these upcoming ballots. With the rapid adoption of FHIR standards, the ballot process offers all HL7 Australia members the opportunity to have their say on the respective specifications’ contents.
Reduction in membership fees to help grow our community
As participation in HL7 Australia ballots requires HL7 membership, the Board is encouraging more individuals, organisations and jurisdictions to become members. Effective 1 July, the membership fees across all categories have been reduced and a new Student membership category will be added. The new rates can be viewed in the updated By Laws and on the website here.
| New Membership Rates |
In-person AGM 2024 Brisbane
The HL7 Australia AGM 2024 will be held in-person, with options for virtual participation, on Wednesday 21 August in Brisbane, coinciding with our second Connectathon for the year. Notices of the AGM and the call for nominations for election to serve as Directors on the Board of HL7 Australia will be sent out shortly using the email we have used for this update.
Please help support HL7 Australia, your Standards Development Organisation.
Dr Isobel Frean
Chair, HL7 Australia