Taiwan's Healthcare Interoperability: Aiming for All-Hospital Linkage with FHIR Box

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The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) presented the results of its 'Next-Generation Digital Healthcare Platform—FHIR Box' at a meeting of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). A key challenge identified was that over 40 different medical record systems are used across Taiwan, with inconsistent data formats and codes. To address this, MOHW developed a rapid healthcare interoperability resource standard based on FHIR technology and national-level data standards to convert disparate hospital data into a common format for seamless connection and exchange. The Deputy Minister explained that FHIR Box functions as an operating system for medical interoperability—like 'Windows' in the medical field—allowing hardware and software vendors to build upon this architecture. This solves the current problem where patients must physically carry records (via CDs or photocopies) when moving between different hospitals. Implementation efforts began with pilot programs at three major medical systems: Chang Gung, Mackay, and Zhongshan, completed by the end of last year. The goal is to achieve interoperability across all major medical centers by the end of this year, followed by expansion to regional and local hospitals in subsequent years. This standardization is expected not only to make patient care more convenient but also to significantly boost related industries, particularly remote and home healthcare services. (Note: Other reports presented at the meeting covered topics like promoting the sports industry using technology and integrating culture with technology.)