9th Health RI Conference in Utrecht

On October 10, 2024, the 9th Health-RI Conference took place in Utrecht, in which Prof. Dr. Ulrich Sax (Head of the Scientific Working Group Translational Collaborative Research at the Institute of Medical Informatics) participated on behalf of the NFDI4Health initiative and the TMF/MII. The event brought together experts from various EU countries to discuss current developments within the framework of the European Health Data Space (EHDS).

A central theme of the conference was the need to harmonize national metadata catalogs in the healthcare sector. The participants emphasized that close coordination between countries is essential to ensure interoperability and data availability in the EHDS. Only through a coordinated approach can the benefits of the EHDS be optimally utilized to improve healthcare in Europe.

Following the conference, there was a meet-up to discuss the various planned national access points to the EHDS, the Health Data Access Bodies (HDABs). Together with Dr. Katharina Schneider from the BfArM, Prof. Dr. Ulrich Sax represented the German perspective. In his contribution, he emphasized the role of NFDI4Health as a mediator and supporter in the coordination processes of the various levels and stakeholders. The harmonization of metadata is not only a technical challenge, but also requires cooperation between different levels and stakeholders.

In summary, the conference represents an important step towards the successful implementation of the EHDS. The discussions and findings will help NFDI4Health and other relevant initiatives to set the course for a sustainable health data infrastructure in Europe.