HL7 and SNOMED International expand interoperability partnership

HL7 International and SNOMED International are deepening their collaboration as they prepare to renew a formal agreement aimed at making health data easier to exchange without losing clinical meaning. The effort centers on joint education, technical validation and implementation support for healthcare systems worldwide.

Why it matters: - Health systems need more than data exchange. They need data that means the same thing across platforms, countries and care settings. - HL7 standards and SNOMED CT together support semantic interoperability, which can improve clinical workflows and patient care. - The partnership is aimed at helping implementers and healthcare organizations use both standards together more effectively.

What happened: - HL7 International and SNOMED International said they are advancing joint technical and education initiatives as they work toward renewing their formal collaboration agreement. - The organizations have worked together formally and informally since 2009. - Their collaboration has helped develop and expand the International Patient Summary, which supports consistent cross-border exchange of essential patient information. - The partnership also led to the SNOMED on FHIR working group, which was created to establish implementation best practices.

The details: - HL7 International is a not-for-profit, ANSI-accredited standards development organization that develops standards for structuring and exchanging health information, including HL7 FHIR. - SNOMED International is the not-for-profit organization responsible for SNOMED CT, a clinical terminology used in more than 80 countries. - HL7 standards provide the structure and mechanisms for exchanging data. - SNOMED CT provides standardized clinical terminology to represent clinical meaning. - The organizations are exploring expanded collaboration in three areas: joint education and awareness initiatives, integrated technical validation through FHIR Connectathons, and implementation resources for organizations using both standards. - The first planned initiative is a joint course called FHIR + SNOMED CT: Working Together for Semantic Interoperability. - The course is designed for clinicians, health information professionals, policymakers and implementers. - The course will explain how FHIR and SNOMED CT work together to support accurate, meaningful clinical data exchange. - The course is in early design. - The planned format includes flexible modules ranging from one to four hours. - Delivery options may include in-person, virtual and self-paced learning.

Between the lines: - The partnership reflects rising pressure on health data standards groups to make interoperability practical, not just theoretical. - The focus on education and implementation suggests both organizations see adoption gaps as a major barrier. - Connectathons remain a key proving ground for testing how standards work together in real-world use cases. - The collaboration also reinforces the role of semantic interoperability as the next step beyond basic digital connectivity.

What's next: - HL7 International and SNOMED International are expected to continue work on the renewed collaboration agreement. - The joint course will move from early design into development. - The organizations are likely to expand education, validation and implementation support if the initiative advances as planned. - Future collaboration may further shape the International Patient Summary and other cross-border interoperability efforts.

The bottom line: - HL7 International and SNOMED International are turning a long-running standards partnership into a broader push for global, clinically meaningful interoperability.