Europe’s leading university hospital selects a new core data platform based on openEHR

Sweden’s largest university hospital opted for a new healthcare model based on open data, with an openEHR digital health platform as the core.

The hospital has chosen the Better digital health platform and its low-code development tools, which will be delivered by Tietoevry.

The hospital set its openEHR strategy years ago.

The target vision for the new healthcare data platform was set in their 2022 Annual Review, with the openEHR clinical data repository being the foundation of the future architecture.

The framework procurement with the first call-off for openEHR software, a central data platform, and openEHR development tools was issued in 2023.

All new systems will evolve from the openEHR platform, creating a new ecosystem of self-developed and partner-developed applications, as the existing EMR will be phased out in the coming years.

The university hospital has selected the Better digital health platform, which will be delivered by Tietoevry, together with other components that are part of the Lifecare offering.

Better’s modular architecture, based on a vendor-neutral CDR powered by openEHR and low-code tools, will allow the university hospital and other healthcare organisations within Sweden’s capital region to expand successively and flexibly when developing in-house applications with minimal dependencies on external vendors.

By controlling the development processes, it will significantly improve cost control and the pace of deliveries as well as lower the project risks, as the platform approach enables the hospital to grow incrementally compared to a more “big-bang” approach with traditional monolithic EPR implementations.

Tomaž Gornik, CEO and founder of Better, said: “Being selected as the core data platform by one of the best hospitals in the world is a testament to our work and commitment to openEHR over the past 15 years.

“Technically, this framework is one of the most demanding procurements, pushing technology beyond today’s boundaries.

“This is a great motivation for us to constantly improve our technology for the future, staying ahead, and being the driving force in the care transformation journey.”

The university hospital’s strategy to implement a digital health platform based on open data, open data standards, and allowing them to build applications and free themselves from vendor lock-in, is a strategy that more and more hospitals, regions and countries in the UK, Europe, and around the world are following.

Among such cases are the City of London, several regions in Sweden, Catalonia, Greece, Wales, and others.

The duration of the framework agreement contract is four years, with a possible extension for two additional years. Better’s local partner, Tietoevry, will deliver the platform and will be priming the contract.

The framework includes two more lots: Area 2 covers openEHR-related tools, and Area 3 covers openEHR-related services, for which the call-offs have yet to be issued.