The European Health Data Space (EHDS) is a framework that defines rules, common standards and practices, data-sharing infrastructure, and governance with an explicit goal to facilitate pan-European access to medical data for primary and secondary uses and the creation of a European Single Market for digital health systems. Its implementation is set to unfold over the coming years, with key milestones expected between 2025 and 2030 to ensure a progressive and coordinated rollout across Member States.
IHE can play a pivotal role in overcoming these challenges by leveraging the IHE™ Methodology (ISO TR28380:2014), successfully adopted by many organizations around the world.
In Europe, IHE-Europe has been an active contributor to digital health infrastructure projects since 2008 (epSOS) and was a key team member on the development of the first set of pan-European interoperability specifications (Antilope, eStandard). In 2015, the European Commission adopted a set of 27 IHE building blocks as the normative set of digital health actor-transactions for the eHealth Network (eHN). IHE’s testing tools have been used since 2017 to conformance-test eHN solutions – now collectively referred to as MyHealth@EU. More recently, IHE-Europe has participated in the development of use cases and specifications for the EEHRxF, including European Commission projects such as XeHealth, UNICOM, and XpanDH.
IHE-Europe White paper
Due to the intricate challenges of achieving interoperability across diverse health systems and infrastructures, IHE-Europe is thrilled to present its latest whitepaper, "Leveraging the IHE Methodology to Accelerate the Successful Implementation of the European Health Data Space (EHDS)." This document showcases how IHE’s proven methodology, including IHE Profiles and conformance testing frameworks, supports seamless, secure, and scalable health data sharing across Europe. By addressing interoperability challenges and building on existing infrastructure, the white paper offers a clear path to achieving the ambitious EHDS vision.
The EHDS is a fast-evolving ecosystem. To keep up with these developments, this page will be updated regularly. Be sure to check back frequently to stay informed on IHE-Europe updates.