Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) fills the "gap" between the creation of e-Health standards and their implementation.  IHE is not "Yet Another Standard" but the missing link that facilitates easy and successful connection of e-Health computer systems.

Because of its critical function in the systems implementation life-cycle, IHE has since 2004 been supported by leading e-Health organisations in the region: HISA, HL7 Australia, HL7 New Zealand, MSIA as well as RANZCR and ADIA.

Read more about IHE here.

In 2008, IHE is continuing the successful series of annual interoperability demonstrations in Australia with a series of events that will enable e-health systems vendors, purchasers, users, healthcare professionals, etc. to:

• Learn and understand the concepts and practice of IHE
• Participate in the "Connectathon" & Interoperability Showcase 2008
• Observe and prepare for full participation in 2009

Learning and Understanding IHE

We held two education events in June in Sydney that
- gave an easy introduction, history and practice of IHE
- provided in-depth knowledge of Cross-Enterprise Document Sharing (XDS)

"Connectathon" & Interoperability Showcase

Participation in this program will provide vendors with an unique opportunity to test the messaging interfaces of their products against a wide variety of other message senders and receivers. This year, IHE will be focussing on Radiology (especially portable media) and Pathology messaging to comply with the NPAAC guidelines. A certified message testing lab (AHML) will provide on-site support to help resolve compatibility issues and undertake the official conformance testing. The companies and products that pass the IHE conformance tests will be issued a certificate of compliance and receive widespread publicity.