National Integration Components Challenge the Epic Implementation in Central Norway

Abstract

Electronic health record (EHR) suites cover a broad range of cross-sectoral use scenarios. Thereby, they streamline information flows but also require that healthcare professionals with diverse responsibilities must adapt to one and the same system. In the region of Central Norway, the EHR suite from Epic is being implemented at hospitals as well as in municipal healthcare. However, the 64 municipalities in the region are increasingly exploring the option of bypassing Epic by supplementing their existing systems with national integration components. These components provide integration and data exchange across systems for selected healthcare information. We discuss whether they are a viable alternative to Epic. The three components are the summary care record, the shared medication list, and the national welfare technology hub.