The Clinical Value and Evolution of the IPS

The Clinical Value and Evolution of the International Patient SummaryEpisode 02: Show NotesThe International Patient Summary (IPS) is helping to transform how essential health information is shared across borders, healthcare systems, and clinical settings. But what clinical value does the IPS actually deliver to clinicians and patients, and has it lived up to its original vision?In this episode, co-hosts Michael Nusbaum and Robert Stegwee are joined by Prof. Dr. Sylvia Thun, Director of Digital Medicine and Interoperability at the Berlin Institute of Health. As a medical doctor and chair of the German Interoperability Council, Prof. Dr. Thun brings a unique clinical and technical perspective to the conversation.Together, they discuss the clinical value of the IPS, from improving patient safety across language barriers to supporting clinicians in emergency situations. They also explore how the IPS has become the foundation for other implementation guides and clinical datasets, the workflow and process changes needed to make the most of patient summary data, lessons from the epSOS (Smart Open Services for European Patients) project, large-scale use cases, and the future of the IPS as it moves toward integrated clinical services and AI.Key Points From This Episode•   [00:00] Introduction to International Patient Summary and hosts.•   [01:53] Guest Prof. Dr. Sylvia Thun and her background in medicine and interoperability.•   [03:26] Why a medical doctor moved into digital health and standardization.•   [05:41] The clinical value of the IPS and its role in patient safety.•   [08:09] Building on the IPS: implementation guides and terminologies.•   [10:42] The minimum dataset and specialist requirements.•   [12:36] Integrating IPS data directly into clinical practice and workflow.•   [15:21] Emergency care applications and lessons from the epSOS project.•   [16:59] Emerging large-scale global use cases for IPS.•   [19:51] The future of the IPS: integrated clinical services and AI.Quotes“I realized quite early that many problems in healthcare are actual information problems and communication problems.” — Prof. Dr. Sylvia Thun [03:46]“So the IPS is just the minimal thing that we should really have for each, not only patient but citizen. And besides that, we need [much] more information, especially if they are really sick or do have a rare disease.” — Prof. Dr. Sylvia Thun [11:45]“In emergency situations, clinicians often have little time and limited knowledge of the patient's medical history, and so they need the history and the information to give the right medication, and they need to know the allergies, the chronic diseases, and procedures, implants. And this was our goal when we made it in epSOS. For this emergency situation, there should be the right information in the right place.” — Prof. Dr. Sylvia Thun [16:25]Links Mentioned in Today’s EpisodeProf. Dr. Sylvia Thun —  https://www.linkedin.com/in/prof-dr-med-sylvia-thun-46ab44200/Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) — https://www.bihealth.org/German Interoperability Council — https://www.ina.gematik.de/en/interoperability-governance/interop-councilMichael Nusbaum — https://www.linkedin.com/in/mhnusbaum/Robert Stegwee — https://www.linkedin.com/in/stegwee/International Patient Summary — https://international-patient-summary.net/International Patient Summary on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-patient-summary/home/

Episode 01: Show NotesThe International Patient Summary (IPS) has evolved into a global digital health initiative, helping countries exchange essential health information across national, regional, and organizational boundaries. This new podcast explores what the IPS is, why it was developed, and how it is being used today, with global experts sharing the insights and experiences shaping this increasingly vital suite of digital health standards.In this inaugural episode, co-hosts Michael Nusbaum and Robert Stegwee welcome guest Herko Coomans of the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. Herko is an active member of the Global Digital Health Partnership (GDHP), Vice Chair of the General Assembly of SNOMED International, and a leading ambassador for the IPS.Together, they discuss the origins of the IPS, lessons learned from emergency pandemic responses, and the role of mini-connectathons in building government trust. They also explore the collaboration between Standards Development Organizations (SDOs) and governments, real-world implementations like the Hajj pilgrimage use case and Brazil’s national roll-out, and the emerging concept of treating international standards as a "global public good.” Key Points From This Episode•   [00:00] Introducing the International Patient Summary and our hosts.•   [03:13] Herko Coomans and his role in global digital health.•   [04:56] How COVID-19 accelerated interest in the IPS.•   [07:47] The Japan meeting: IPS as a set of interdependent standards.•   [09:59] Identifying the role of governments in standards governance.•   [13:25] Patient-mediated exchange and how it built confidence in the IPS.•   [14:57] How the GDHP and the JIC are building a government-SDO relationship.•   [19:57] Saudi Arabia’s successful IPS pilgrimage use case and lessons learned.•   [22:26] The IPS as a “global public good" and the future of governance.•   [27:29] Ensuring the standard remains available in the next 30 years•   [29:48] Next chapter for government and SDO collaboration.•   [33:19] Global momentum: the European Health Data Space and Brazil.•   [38:43] Takeaways and a preview of the next episode.Quotes“And this is what I love most about the IPS is that you have shown the world that there is such a thing as a true global standard that has a cross-border international global use case that touches as many use cases as we can and is managed in an integrated way.” — [09:31]“So you see that we now have a very mature discussion on not just ‘Is this tool the right thing to use?’ Because we've passed that station. But now it’s, ‘How do we make this tool the most valuable one that we can have based on the actual experience we have with using that tool on the ground?’ And I think at the global level, this is truly amazing.” — [21:58]“But I think that the example that I like most is what I heard in Brazil. They're building a national health system with a lot of information, but they are explicitly using the IPS to give everyone, every citizen, its over 300 million citizens, their own IPS. And they're using it as a — and I love this framing — it's democratizing health data.” — [35:37]Links Mentioned in Today’s EpisodeMichael Nusbaum — https://www.linkedin.com/in/mhnusbaum/Robert Stegwee — https://www.linkedin.com/in/stegwee/Herko Coomans — https://www.linkedin.com/in/herko/Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (Netherlands) — https://www.government.nl/ministries/ministry-of-health-welfare-and-sportGlobal Digital Health Partnership (GDHP) — https://gdhp.health/International Patient Summary — https://international-patient-summary.net/Joint Initiative Council (JIC) — http://www.jointinitiativecouncil.org/ SNOMED International — https://www.snomed.org

Inside Australia’s 20-Year Interoperability Journey with SNOMED CT  Episode 10: Show NotesAustralia has been working to build a more connected digital health ecosystem for nearly two decades, with interoperability at the centre of its approach. As one of SNOMED International’s founding members, Australia has developed a range of strategies, standards, and initiatives designed to help health information flow safely and seamlessly across care settings.In this episode, host Kelly Kuru is joined by Peter O'Halloran, Chief Digital Officer at the Australian Digital Health Agency, which is hosting SNOMED CT Expo 2026 in Sydney, Australia, from October 21-23, 2026. Together, they discuss Australia's digital health ecosystem, the implementation maturity across acute and primary care sectors, and how foundational strategies such as the National Digital Health Strategy (2023–2028) drive shared commitment. Peter also shares insights on the role of SNOMED CT in ensuring patient safety, the success of Australia's Sparked FHIR accelerator, and what attendees can expect from the upcoming SNOMED CT Expo in Sydney. Key Points From This Episode: •   [00:36] Intro to Peter O’Halloran and the Australian Digital Health Agency.•   [01:25] Peter O'Halloran's role and the importance of interoperability.•   [02:40] Terminology without borders: Perspectives on implementation maturity.•   [04:34] Digital health maturity across Australia.•   [06:21] Australia’s national digital health strategy and interoperability plan.•   [08:12] How Australia is learning from, and contributing to, global interoperability.•   [11:23] Why SNOMED CT remains critical to interoperability in Australia.•   [13:29] Sparked: Australia's national FHIR accelerator.•   [16:34] What attendees can expect from the SNOMED CT Expo in SydneyQuotes:One of the things we do in Australia very well is we never think we have the solutions to all of the problems we have. And so we like to share our problems with people, but also to learn what's worked for them and to share what's worked for us. — Peter O'Halloran [03:31]“The benefit we see of having that data flow across all care settings means that patients can get the best health outcomes no matter where they go to access care.” — Peter O'Halloran [05:39]“And I think that's the real power of what we do together is we all have a common outcome; we're not competing with each other. And that collaboration, whether it's inside our own nations or internationally, is actually what gives us the ideas and the ability to move forward.” — Peter O'Halloran [10:47]“Australia chose SNOMED and has kept SNOMED for nearly 20 years because it is the most advanced, broadest, and deepest clinical terminology out there. There is nothing else that competes with it. There is nothing that is even close in terms of its coverage. And that’s critical for us.” — Peter O'Halloran [11:55]Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Peter O’Halloran - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petertransforms/ Australian Digital Health Agency - https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/SNOMED CT Expo 2026 - https://www.snomed.org/snomedct-expoKelly Kuru - https://www.snomed.org/our-team/kelly-kuruSNOMED International - https://www.snomed.org

Impulsando SNOMED CT en el Hispano Parlante Episodio 09: Notas del episodio SNOMED International está trabajando para fortalecer la colaboración, el intercambio de conocimientos y la participación en toda América Latina y el resto del mundo hispanohablante. A medida que más países de la región adoptan SNOMED CT, surge una oportunidad creciente para compartir experiencias, herramientas, lecciones aprendidas y enfoques sobre interoperabilidad semántica. En este episodio, grabado para la audiencia hispanohablante de SNOMED International, Victor Medina, Terminólogo Senior y Líder de CSRM para América Latina, y Alejandro Lopez Osornio, Especialista Senior de Soporte a la Implementación en SNOMED International, se reúnen con las invitadas Rossana Occhiuzzi, Coordinadora de Interoperabilidad Semántica para Salud Digital, y Betania Arispe, Representante de Uruguay en el Foro de miembros de SNOMED lnternational. Ambas trabajan en el área de salud digital de Agesic, la Agencia de Gobierno Electrónico y Sociedad de la Información y del Conocimiento, y han estado liderando la adopción nacional de SNOMED CT desde 2014. Juntos, el panel analiza el recorrido de Uruguay como país pionero en interoperabilidad semántica en la región, así como los desafíos prácticos y técnicos de adoptar SNOMED CT en diversas instituciones de salud. La conversación también va más allá de Uruguay para observar a la comunidad hispanohablante y LatinoAmericana en general, incluyendo los esfuerzos de SNOMED International para fortalecer la colaboración regional, apoyar a países Miembros y no Miembros, compartir experiencias de implementación y proporcionar herramientas, capacitación y recursos. Puntos clave de este episodio: [00:36] Introducción al episodio, los anfitriones y las invitadas especiales de Uruguay. [02:43] La estrategia de SNOMED International y la expansión de sus miembros en América Latina. [04:26] Cómo aprovecha Uruguay SNOMED CT dentro de su historia clínica electrónica nacional. [08:52] Características únicas del ecosistema uruguayo y la adopción de SNOMED CT. [13:04] Cómo colabora actualmente Uruguay con otros países. [17:39] Kits de herramientas de implementación, seminarios web en español y recursos de código abierto. [21:04] Conclusiones clave, lecciones y consejos para los países que están adoptando SNOMED CT. Citas: “Pienso que en el caso de Uruguay ya conta, contamos con algunas ventajas que, como decía Rossana, bueno, somos un país pequeño en que se maneja el mismo idioma, el mismo dialecto en todo el territorio nacional. Y por otro lado, bueno, también tenemos un sistema nacional integrado de salud ya desde hace muchos años en el que se integran tanto prestadores de salud públicos como privados en una misma red. Entonces todo eso facilita ya la interoperabilidad.” — Betania Arispe [11:33] “Nosotros creemos fuertemente que SNOMED es un componente central de lo que es la estrategia de interoperabilidad semántica, verdad? Su valor no solamente está en disponer una terminología clínica, sino también en la posibilidad de representar la información de manera consistente, poder compartirla y reutilizarla con un significado común.” — Rossana Occhiuzzi [21:50] “Durante estos 12 años de trabajo, creo que hemos generado muchas lecciones, aprendí allá y nos parece muy buena la oportunidad de poder compartirla con los países que están avanzando en implementaciones similares para allanar un poco el camino.” — Betania Arispe [23:11] Enlaces mencionados en el episodio de hoy: Rossana Occhiuzzi - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossana-occhiuzzi-90b667a2/ Agesic - http://www.agesic.gub.uy/ Victor Medina - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-victormedina/ Alejandro Lopez Osornio - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alejandro-lopez-osornio-7a9b186/ SNOMED International - https://www.snomed.org

Episode 08: Show Notes Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly being adopted across healthcare, with a growing number of tools claiming to work with SNOMED CT. But until now, there has been no standardized way to independently evaluate those claims or assess how effectively AI systems can map clinical information to SNOMED CT concepts. In this episode, Rory Davidson, Chief Digital Information Officer at SNOMED International, is joined by Will Hardman, Machine Learning and Data Science Specialist at Veritai, and Chris Kucharczyk, Lead Data Scientist at DrivenData, to discuss the launch of the SNOMED CT Entity Linking Benchmark. Together, they explore why SNOMED International developed the benchmark, how it builds on the earlier SNOMED CT Entity Linking Challenge, and why ongoing evaluation is essential in an era of rapidly evolving AI models. The discussion covers the complex process of building and annotating a clinically credible dataset, the challenges of measuring AI performance in healthcare, and the role the benchmark can play in helping health systems, vendors, and developers better understand the strengths and limitations of their solutions. Key Points from This Episode: [00:36] Introduction to the SNOMED CT Entity Linking Benchmark. [03:41] Benchmark vs. challenge: what's the difference? [06:28] Building the clinical annotation process and dataset. [10:24] How the benchmark is scored and evaluated. [13:29] How large language models have changed entity linking. [17:21] What the benchmark means for the SNOMED CT community. [19:18] Why vendors and developers should participate. [21:57] Looking ahead: where the benchmark goes next. Quotes: “But I suppose the real learning from this is that if you have a diverse team, even with a really good set of guidelines, there's still going to be some disagreement over the meaning of terms, and that kind of puts an upper bound on how well you can expect a machine to do. Because if two people only agree 85% of the time, you can't expect a machine to do better than that.” — Will Hardman [09:30]: “And that is why, if for no other reason than for the interchange of precise information between language models, the terminology has become even more important now than it was before.” — Will Hardman [16:27]: “Instead of saying, ‘Ah, we are great at this thing’ without an easy way to verify it, now we have something where we can directly compare different approaches, and that interoperability is going to make a big difference in how we're able to evaluate how well these different tools work.” — Chris Kucharczyk [21:19] “And I think my hope for a success story 12 to 18 months from now is we get to a point where we have good enough systems that can start to bootstrap the next evaluation dataset for a new benchmark.” — Chris Kucharczyk [23:09] Links Mentioned in This Episode: Will Hardman- https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-hardman-81898323/ Veritai - https://www.veratai.co.uk/ Chris Kucharczyk - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-kucharczyk-9783b937/ DrivenData - https://drivendata.co/ SNOMED CT Entity Linking Benchmark - https://www.drivendata.org/ Rory Davidson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rorydavidson/ SNOMED International - https://www.snomed.org/

A Clearer Path Forward: Introducing the SNOMED CT Maturity Framework and Assessment ToolEpisode 07: Show NotesSNOMED International has released a new Implementation Maturity Framework designed to help Members, vendors, and implementing organizations better understand their progress with SNOMED CT and identify the steps needed to reach their future goals. Built in response to community demand, the framework offers a structured, practical way to assess readiness, capability, and strategic alignment across a range of implementation domains.In this episode, Kelly Kuru, Chief Communications and Collaborations Officer, is joined by two of the three team members responsible for SNOMED International's implementation services approach: Anne Randorff Højen, Implementation Support Specialist, and Alejandro Lopez Osornio, Senior Implementation Specialist. Together, they explore the purpose of the new framework, how it was designed, and why it has become a central part of SNOMED International’s wider strategy to support Members. Anne and Alejandro unpack the five Key Process Areas (KPAs) that form the backbone of the framework, the three tailored assessment streams, and the new self-assessment tool that turns organizational reflection into actionable next steps.Key Points From This Episode:[01:11] An introduction to the new Implementation Maturity Framework.[03:50] How this framework aligns with SNOMED International’s 5-year strategy.[05:00] The three dedicated streams of the tool and how it meets distinct needs.[07:56] How the new assessment tool works and the five KPAs.[11:36] How SNOMED International is helping people understand how to use this tool.[14:06] The time required to complete a full assessment.[16:19] The final part: a downloadable report including your maturity index.[18:53] Key takeaways.Quotes:“The implementation maturity framework is really designed to help anyone involved in implementing SNOMED CT to understand where they are on their journey and what steps they might take next.” — Anne Randorff Højen [01:43]“We've had an implementation maturity model for several years, but the key enhancement in this new version of the framework is that it has a much broader perspective.” — Anne Randorff Højen [01:56]“A way to understand your progress is important, so you can design your processes, you can define your organizations, your human resources, your skills, your governance structure, so you can achieve those goals.” — Alejandro Lopez Osornio [0:04:16]“If [there’s] anything I can say about our implementation team here at SNOMED is that there is always continuous improvement and there is always a lot of activity in terms of new and exciting ways that we can try and support implementers.” — Kelly Kuru [0:13:47]Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Alejandro Lopez OsornioAnne Randorff HøjenSNOMED CT Implementation Maturity FrameworkImplementation Maturity Assessment ToolSNOMED CT Implementation Support PortalKelly KuruSNOMED International

Translating SNOMED CT: New tools, tactics and approachesEpisode 06: Show NotesSNOMED International produces a terminology intended to provide a standardized and structured way of representing clinical information so it can be accurately captured, shared, understood, and used across healthcare systems. For an international organization with more than 50 Member countries globally, translation is a pressing and constant challenge. In this episode, Kelly Kuru, Chief Collaborations & Communications Officer for SNOMED International, is joined by Ole Våge, chair of SNOMED’s Translation User Group and a terminologist at the Norwegian Health Directorate; Feikje Hielkema-Raadsveld, computational linguist at Nictiz, a Dutch knowledge organization for digital information provision in healthcare; and Kai Kewley, a technical specialist for SNOMED International's Implementation Support Team. Following the Translation User Group meeting held in Oslo in April 2025, these key participants discuss the need for accurate translations of SNOMED CT as more and more non-English speaking countries become Members, the complexities and logistics involved, and the different approaches taken by different countries. They also unpack how the SNOMED Translation User Group is advancing the translation of the terminology internationally, new and evolving tooling that SNOMED International has been developing, and how AI is being leveraged to support translation. Key Points from This Episode:[00:51] An introduction to the topic of translation.[02:26] The roles of the guests and the importance of translation.[04:29] The complexities of SNOMED CT implementation for non-English speaking countries.[05:41] The resources and logistics of translation.[07:08] Considerations for an international organization before becoming a member.[08:53] How different countries decide what they will or won’t translate.[11:10] Engagement and feedback on SNOMED’s translation and implementation internationally.[14:35] The evolution of the Translation User Group.[17:58] The development of tooling used for translation.[21:12] How AI is being leveraged to support translation.[23:45] What success looks like in the translation space.Quotes:“I think it's very important that we go to all this effort of translation because that's what enables us to use international code systems and you can't have interoperability with all kinds of local code systems.” — Feikje Hielkema-Raadsveld [0:03:29] “So when you're translating anything, there's always problems like words in languages that look alike, but don't mean the same thing, like false friends. There's a problem that languages have different concepts, different distinctions that they draw, that they have words for. So one of the examples we faced was SNOMED contains a concept for ‘giddy’ and it contains a concept for ‘dizzy.’ And in Dutch, that's both translated as ‘duizelig’. And actually, SNOMED contained a third concept as well, which was ‘giddy and dizzy.’ And that one really stumped us, obviously. So those are problems that you always face whatever you're translating. But SNOMED, it's more complex because for one thing, it's very important that you get it right. It's health care data. So even the finest distinction matters. Every concept is supposed to be unique. So if you arrive at the same translation, you have a problem that you need to solve. — Feikje Hielkema [04:38]“I think we have reached some kind of maturity now that instead of resolving individual translations, individual concepts, we are looking into what overarching issues are we facing when we translate ontology, which also depends on a certain culture.” — Ole Våge [0:16:25]“I feel really excited about this new effort being made because tooling was painful for us when we did this initial big translation. It helped us, but also caused some obstacles. So this, I think, would be a big next step for having high-quality translations of SNOMED CT in many countries.” — Ole Våge [0:20:48]Links mentioned in this episode:SNOMED’s Translation User GroupOle VågeNorwegian Health DirectorateFeikje Hielkema-RaadsveldNictizKai KewleyKelly KuruSNOMED InternationalSNOMED International Implementation Support PortalSNOMED International translation tools

The SNOMED-LOINC Collaboration: Advancing InteroperabilityEpisode 05: Show NotesLOINC (which stands for Logical Observations, Identifiers, Names, and Codes) is an international standard for identifying health measurements, observations, and documents. Over the past few years, SNOMED International and Regenstrief Institute, which oversees LOINC, have been collaborating on an exciting interoperability solution that will be released in the coming weeks.In this episode, Kelly Kuru, Chief Communications and Collaborations Officer at SNOMED International, is joined by Marjorie Rallins, Executive Director of Health Data Standards at LOINC, to discuss this collaboration. They delve into the importance of this joint effort in developing standards for digital health and interoperability. The conversation highlights the history and ongoing efforts to integrate SNOMED CT and LOINC. The episode also covers the technical aspects, challenges, and successes of this collaboration, emphasizing the mutual benefits for those involved and the positive impact it is likely to have on the global healthcare community. Key Points From This Episode:[01:29] An introduction to Marjorie Rallins and her role at LOINC.[03:44] The relationship between SNOMED and LOINC.[07:20] Working toward the shared goals of interoperable content. [10:02] What we can expect from this interoperability solution. [12:55] Examples of analytics use cases that will be enabled. [15:02] Release dates and update schedule. [17:51] The challenges and wins of this collaboration. Quotes:“And I really look at our two organizations, our communities, as really one community or a Venn diagram that overlaps almost completely.” — Marjorie Rallins [0:09:08]“We all gained from diversity of complementary skills and knowledge. We've talked about that in some of our joint discussions. And we've sort of experienced sustained and collective community interests.” — Marjorie Rallins [0:19:42]“We got some value out of being able to transform the LOINC terminology into the concept model in a way that we hadn't anticipated and that actually saved resources.” — Marjorie Rallins [0:19:59]Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Marjorie RallinsRegenstrief InstituteLOINCThe LOINC OntologyKelly KuruSNOMED International

SNOMED CT + the Bahmni Coalition: Open-source electronic medical record makes digital health tech available in low-resource settings globallyEpisode 04: Show NotesThe mission of SNOMED International, the not-for-profit organization that owns, administers and develops SNOMED CT, the world’s most comprehensive clinical terminology, is to develop a global language for health -- uniting health systems from around the world and enabling them to communicate with and understand one another. As part of that goal, the organization also has a humanitarian mandate to develop tools and advance capabilities in digitally maturing countries with the goal of enabling more people around the globe to benefit from the use of SNOMED CT. To that end, in 2023 SNOMED International began a collaboration with the Bahmni Coalition, a group of organizations that have come together to steward the future of Bahmni, an open-source EMR specifically designed for use in low-resource healthcare settings. In 2024, SNOMED International official joined the Coalition.In this episode, SNOMED International Chief Communications and Collaborations Officer Kelly Kuru is joined by Nick Egharos, SNOMED International's Global Vendor Engagement Lead and Customer Relations Executive for the Middle East and Africa; and Satish Viswanathan, Head of Social Change and Sustainability for ThoughtworksIndia & Middle East, and a member of the governing committee of the Bahmni Coalition. They discuss how SNOMED CT has been integrated into the Bahmni EMR, and what this means for the low-resource countries where it is being used. Through the Coalition, the ecosystem using Bahmni has grown, leading to its adoption in more than 50 countries around the world. Tune in to hear about the evolution of this partnership and the plans for it going forward. Key points from this episode:The formation of the Bahmni Coalition and what it aims to do.How SNOMED got involved with Bahmni and the objectives that brought them together.The alignment of this partnership with SNOMED International’s humanitarian mandate. The phases of the project and what has already been achieved. An introduction to the Bahmni EMR and how it was built with open source. Insight into Bahmni’s use cases and global adoption. SNOMED’s ongoing role in the Bahmni Coalition.What it means for Bahmni to have SNOMED in its coalition.The input and feedback that the coalition is seeking to shape the future of Bahmni. Plans for the future of SNOMED and Bahmni’s continued work and areas of focus. Quotes:“By providing SNOMED for free in an open source EMR product, I think we're really trying to show that we're committed to the broad distribution of SNOMED globally, and super keen to find ways to distribute it in ways that allow us to maintain our ability to support SNOMED and yet give that broad access.” — Nick Egharos [0:05:48]“The credibility that having an organization like SNOMED as part of the Bahmni Coalition offers to countries and ministries of health worldwide can prove a real shot in the arm for adoption of open source technologies like Bahmni in digital healthcare settings worldwide.” — Satish Viswanathan [0:18:57]“We've already benefited from collaborating with the SNOMED team to enhance our understanding of terminology, but we also hope that with SNOMED’s deep clinical and terminology expertise, we'll also be able to get more feedback about the product itself and help shape the future of the product as we go forward.” — Satish Viswanathan [0:19:24]“In terms of additional enhancements, I think there's nothing but opportunity and there's a wide array of things we could do, but we want to make sure that as we move forward, we're building things that add value to the customers and to the Bahmni Coalition as a whole.” — Nick Egharos [0:22:51]Links mentioned in today’s episode:SNOMED InternationalThe Bahmni CoalitionSatish ViswanathanKelly KuruNick EgarhosBahmni + SNOMED CTBahmni roadmap consultationThoughtworksDigital Public Goods Alliance

The International Patient Summary (or IPS) is an accessible standardized minimum health dataset for patients’ health information. In this episode, we delve into what it is, how it works, and the potential benefits it holds for patients, healthcare providers, and entire healthcare systems.For this conversation, Kelly Kuru, Chief Communications and Collaborations Officer at SNOMED International, is joined by two health information standards, business, and IPS subject matter experts: Robert Hausam and Michael Nusbaum. Both are active contributors to the IPS and its related governance. They also both serve as representative members of the Joint Initiative Council for Global Health Informatics Standardization (JIC), an organization focused on furthering the important role that health information standards play in enabling interoperability. Rob and Mike shed light on the development of the IPS since its inception, the collaborative efforts behind the initiative, and the drivers shaping its development and use. You’ll learn about the type of information included in the IPS, real-world examples of how it can be used, the milestones attained to date, and the challenges to its widespread adoption. Tune in to gain valuable insights into this groundbreaking initiative and its potential to revolutionize healthcare information sharing globally.Key Points from This Episode:An introduction to our guests, Rob Hausam and Mike Nusbaum, and their roles in the IPS.What the International Patient Summary (IPS) is and why it was created. The required information and some of the other items that may be included in the IPS.Insight into the Joint Initiative Council for Global Health Informatics Standardization (JIC).Why the IPS has become a priority for healthcare.The role of the G7 and other entities that have highlighted the importance of the IPS.Specific examples of IPS use cases.The milestones that the IPS has already reached and the ones ahead.Challenges and obstacles to its widespread adoption.How to learn more about the IPS.Quotes:“TheInternational Patient Summary is a minimal and a non-exhaustive set of basic clinical data of a patient, especially agnostic and condition-independent, but it's intended to be readily usable by all clinicians for unscheduled cross-border patient care.” — @rhausam[0:04:45]“What [the JIC has] resulted in now is a number of standards that are designed to work together, developed by different organizations but designed to be fully synchronized, which is really helpful to those who want to implement and use the IPS in their day-to-day activities.” — @mhnusbaum [0:07:25]“… in June 2021, when the G7, at their meeting in the UK, they actually issued a statement that declared the importance of collaboration and the use of the International Patient Summary very specifically.” — @mhnusbaum[0:08:07]“Everybody seems to be rallying around the IPS and the importance of the IPS because it’s one of the very first things that have ever been developed in the digital health world that is truly and uniquely international.” — @mhnusbaum[0:08:32]Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Robert HausamMichael NusbaumKelly KuruSNOMED InternationalInternational Patient SummaryJoint Initiative Council for Global Health Informatics StandardizationG7 Health Ministers DeclarationGlobal Digital Health PartnershipHL7 International