Igor Bossenko, the PhD student of the Department of Software Science, will defend his PhD thesis "A domain-specific framework for supporting semantic interoperability in primary and secondary use of health data on the example of the Estonian National Health Information System” on February 11, 2025 starting at 15:00. The defense will take place in room U05-103 (TalTech Study Building 5, Ehitajate tee 5, Tallinn) and can be also followed via Zoom.
This PhD thesis explores semantic interoperability in the primary and secondary use of healthcare data, addressing key challenges in data exchange. It introduces TermX, a platform designed to enhance interoperability in healthcare systems by integrating terminology servers, data models, transformation editors, and publishing tools. The research aligns with the Refined eHealth European Interoperability Framework (ReEIF) and focuses on enabling seamless exchange and accurate interpretation of electronic health records (EHRs).
The motivation behind this research is the increasing digitalization of healthcare and the need for interoperable EHR systems that facilitate cross-border data sharing. Current solutions are often fragmented, require technical expertise, or fail to fully support healthcare standards. This thesis aims to provide a user-friendly, cost-effective solution accessible to non-technical users in healthcare.
The study follows a Design Science (DS) approach, iteratively designing, validating, and implementing TermX. The platform is modular and open-source, supporting multilingual environments, complex data transformations (e.g., HL7 CDA to FHIR), and compliance with international standards. Unlike existing solutions, TermX prioritizes usability, making interoperability more accessible to healthcare professionals.
The results demonstrate successful real-world implementations, particularly in Estonia and Lithuania, showing improvements in data standardization, terminology management, and interoperability. TermX has reduced the learning curve for non-technical users and streamlined data model development.
This research contributes to healthcare interoperability by providing a scalable, adaptable, and user-friendly platform that reduces technical barriers while ensuring compliance with standards. Future research will focus on expanding TermX’s capabilities, usability, and integration with additional standards.
The thesis "A domain-specific framework for supporting semantic interoperability in primary and secondary use of health data on the example of the Estonian National Health Information System” is published in the Digital Collection of TalTech Library.
Supervisors: Dr Gunnar Piho (TalTech) and Prof. Peeter Ross (TalTech).
Oponents:
- Prof. Dr. Dipak Kalra, The European Institute for Innovation through Health Data president, Belgium;
- Dr. Sulev Reisberg, Tartu University, Estonia.
Meeting ID: 943 8065 7925
Passcode: 405647
N.B. Before the defence, starting at 12:00 in room U05-103 Prof. Dr. Dipak Kalra will give a presentation on „Challenges and Trends in Health Informatics Towards European Health Data Space“, you are welcome to join us!