Presenting IDERHA’s plan to align with the EHDS

The European Health Data Space (EHDS) is the first common EU data space and provides the opportunity to offer safe and secure exchange, use and reuse of health data to benefit patients, researchers, innovators, and regulators. With health being the first area, this gives IDERHA the opportunity to actively shape the EHDS. In IDERHA’s first publication, the plan for alignment with the EHDS is presented. 

The EHDS legislation aims to facilitate the sharing of data and leverage opportunities for innovation and still acknowledge data protection and security. The EHDS also requires implementation approaches like IDERHA to make sure that technical implementation is possible. Therefore, aligning the EHDS and IDERHA data space is essential for future sustainability. 

In the study a review was performed on the EHDS regulation, technical requirements for EHDS, and related projects. The researchers also explored the results of the Joint Action Towards the EHDS to identify the framework of IDERHA’s alignment with EHDS. Furthermore, the expertise on the EHDS requirements and challenges was shared via an internal webinar and an external workshop with EHDS experts. 

The authors identified the lessons learned from the existing projects and the minimum-set of requirements for aligning IDERHA infrastructure with EHDS, including user journey, concepts, terminologies, and standards. The IDERHA’s alignment plan with EHDS states that three categories of standardization are needed: data discoverability, enabling semantics interoperability, and health data exchange.

The take home message of the review is that IDERHA’s plan and the collaboration with other EHDS initiatives/projects are critical in advancing the implementation of EHDS. Implementation of the plan will give IDERHA the opportunity to actively participate in shaping the EHDS. 

Source: Open Research Europe, 30 July 2024.