NHIA advances digitalization of cancer drug pre-screening using FHIR

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The National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) in Taiwan is advancing the digitalization of cancer treatment by improving drug pre-screening processes utilizing electronic medical records. This new process combines patient electronic medical history with the FHIR standard, allowing for preliminary determination of drug usability and suitability. It is scheduled to be available at all hospitals starting January 1, 2025. Furthermore, the NHIA plans to standardize the application process for major illnesses using FHIR, aiming for hospital implementation starting March 2025. Additionally, a new workflow for uploading Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) test data is currently under discussion. These initiatives are crucial steps toward standardizing and strengthening medical data linkage in Taiwan, facilitating the realization of personalized medicine. By adopting international standards like FHIR, seamless data exchange between disparate systems is expected, supporting faster and more accurate treatment decisions.