Denmark's New Continua-Compliant National Health IT Reference Architecture Available In English

Monday, 23 September 2013

Denmark has issued an English-language translation of its national health IT reference architecture, which mandates compliance with Continua's Design Guidelines for interoperability of devices, systems and services in personal connected health. Denmark became the first nation ever to formally adopt Continua's Design Guidelines as part of a national healthcare system when it published its National Action Plan for Telemedicine last year.

"The English-language translation provides a practical, accessible example of how to implement Continua's Guidelines that other nations can draw upon when considering the issue of interoperability within their national health IT infrastructure," said Clint McClellan, President and Chairman of Continua. "We are already in discussions with several other nations," he added.

Reference Architecture for Collecting Health Data from Citizens was published by Denmark's National e-Health Authority in June 2013 and in part, defines the technical requirements for communication between monitoring devices and application hosting devices across personal and local-area networks, as well as wide-area network communication infrastructure in accordance with Continua's Design Guidelines. Key sections of text address:

• Denmark's overall technical architecture requirements and goals for collecting health data; technological trends and the ICT landscape as it pertains to the reference architecture
• Continua's end-to-end framework
• Checklist of Important Properties, presented as a list of questions to ask about any solution aiming to comply with the reference architecture
• Checklist for Implementation of the Solution that aids in defining organizational and data processing agreements necessary to facilitate a successful rollout

"The English-language translation will help Denmark in preparing and attracting bidders to fulfill its tenders, and is an important 'go-to' document for any government entity considering a mandate for interoperability," said McClellan.

Reference Architecture for Collecting Health Data from Citizens is available online.

About Continua Health Alliance
Continua Health Alliance (Continua), an international not-for-profit industry group, is the leading organization convening global technology industry standards to develop end-to-end, plug-and-play connectivity for personal connected health. Continua is dedicated to the development of Design Guidelines and test tools to expedite the deploym ent of personal connected health devices and systems that will dramatically improve health management, clinical outcomes and quality of life. Personal connected health will empower information-driven health self-management and facilitate the incorporation of health and wellness into the day-to-day lives of consumers. Continua is a pioneer in establishing standards-based guidelines and security for connected health technologies such as tablets, smartphones, gateways and remote monitoring devices through its Guideline releases. The Alliance’s activities include a certification and brand support program, events and collaborations to support technology and clinical innovation, and outreach to employers, payers, governments and care providers. With over 200 membe r companies reaching across the globe, Continua is comprised of technology, medical device and health care industry leaders and service providers dedicated to making personal connected health a reality.