The UNICOM Project participated in Athens Digital Health Week, that emerged as a meeting point for several projects and initiatives to come together and discuss different advancements in interoperability and digital health. The UNICOM Day was presented through a sequence of sessions aimed at clarifying the challenges and experiences associated with the implementation of the Identification of Medicinal Products (IDMP) standards.
Experts from the UNICOM team showcased their work in areas such as technology, semantic alignment, governance, and shared lessons as well as the current outcomes of adopting IDMP standards. These presentations highlighted the preparatory efforts undertaken by UNICOM in collaboration with Standards Development Organizations (SDOs) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), among others. They also emphasized the software components and other enablers that UNICOM has made available to facilitate this process.
UNICOM’s presentations made it clear that implementing IDMP standards is not merely a procedural task but requires significant commitment and effort. However, thanks to UNICOM’s contributions, much of the uncertainty surrounding this implementation has been mitigated. The project’s main goal is to provide comprehensive guidance, foundational work, and testable specifications to support the adoption of IDMP standards across necessary domains. This objective was not only discussed but was also made evident through the demonstrated alignment and convergence of various efforts and outcomes.
The complexity of achieving technical and semantic interoperability was a major focus, with UNICOM highlighting both the challenges and tangible benefits of national and international IDMP implementations. The event underscored the project’s commitment to ensuring a seamless integration of IDMP standards, marking the beginning of a significant shift in healthcare that prioritizes data consistency and availability.
By delving into use case scenarios, testable specifications, testing data, and platforms, the sessions showcased the pivotal role of UNICOM—and the Integration of Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) by extension—in developing open tools and specifications for IDMP implementation. IHE is poised to further develop these specifications, providing essential resources for individuals and groups working on IDMP-compliant solutions. These efforts underscore a methodical approach to achieving interoperability, thereby strengthening the healthcare landscape through the effective implementation of IDMP standards.
