Country / Region
EMEA
Tags
EHDS (European Health Data Space), Implementation
This presentation explores how SNOMED CT GPS is leveraged as the preferred terminology for cross-border health information exchange, particularly within the context of the European EHR Exchange Format (EEHRxF) and the upcoming EHDS regulations. We will highlight IHE-Europe's role in interoperability profile specification and testing and describe how SNOMED CT strengthens semantic interoperability across national systems through “pivot documents” using the Patient Summary as an example.
Description
IHE-Europe has played a key role in shaping and testing the interoperability frameworks used for cross-border health information exchange in Europe. This presentation focuses on the application of IHE Profiles as the structural backbone of transaction workflows, and the integration of SNOMED CT as the semantic foundation for clinical content within pivot documents like the Patient Summary (PS). As the EU prepares for EHDS implementation, including the FHIR-based EEHRxF specifications, this presentation will discuss how IHE is supporting the implementation of the new EHDS requirements and enabling safe, reliable, and semantically consistent data exchange between and within the EU Member States.
Scope
SNOMED CT GPS was selected as the preferred terminology due to its ready availability, comprehensive clinical content coverage, and multilingual support, which are essential for cross-border care. It plays a pivotal role in enabling semantic interoperability, which is critical for safe and accurate clinical decision-making when health data is shared across borders. Its global recognition and maturity make it a natural fit for aligning European data exchange frameworks with international best practices.
How SNOMED CT will be used
SNOMED CT GPS is used as the preferred code system for the clinical sections of structured documents such as the European Patient Summary. By serving as the semantic layer of pivot documents exchanged cross-border, SNOMED CT GPS ensures that clinically meaningful information can be reliably understood across linguistic and system boundaries. Mapping from national/local terminologies to SNOMED CT GPS is operationalized at the national level, often through Terminology Servers, enabling seamless transformation into EEHRxF-compliant formats.
Why SNOMED CT will be used
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