Vesta (interoperability directory)
Vesta is the Ve rzeichnis for information technology Sta ndards healthcare.
description
The vesta-gematik.de portal is a central directory for technical and semantic standards , profiles and guidelines in the German health care system, developed and operated by the gematik Gesellschaft für Telematik applications der Gesundheitkarte mbH.
The development of vesta standards goes back to the 2015 law for secure digital communication and applications in the health care system as well as changes to other laws , which obliged gematik to set up an online directory in which all standards in the field of electronic communication in the health care system are entered can.
The directory is intended to create transparency about technical and semantic standards in the healthcare system and to facilitate the dialogue between providers and users of electronic applications, standardization organizations, science and politics. This is to avoid isolated solutions and reduce inefficiency in development efforts. This can improve the interoperability between IT systems in healthcare.
It is supplemented by the vesta information portal, which shows telemedicine projects and electronic applications in the healthcare sector.
Application for IT standards
The following groups are eligible to apply:
- Users of information technology systems (e.g. service providers, health insurance companies)
- Representation of the interests of users of information technology systems (e.g. professional societies or self-government bodies),
- Provider of information technology systems (e.g. manufacturer and supplier of an information technology system)
- Scientific institutions
- Standardization and standardization organizations
Providers of an electronic application in the health care system according to Section 291a, Paragraph 7, Clause 3 of the Social Code Book V or an electronic application that is financed in whole or in part from the funds of the statutory health insurance must submit an application for inclusion in vesta.
Process flow
First of all, gematik decides - with the involvement of experts and the specialist public - on the interoperability of the gematik specifications. The entry is then published with all statements and comments and thus included in vesta standards.
In the future, contents of vesta standards can be recommended as a reference - also with the involvement of experts and the specialist public.
Experts and the specialist public
Whether a standard submitted by application meets the requirements of interoperability is assessed by independent experts (individuals who can be shown to be active in relevant organizations) and the specialist public. These also support gematik in deciding which standards can be recommended in the future as reference for information technology systems in healthcare.
Members of the following groups can apply as experts:
- Users of information technology systems
- Representatives of the federal associations in the field of information technology in the health sector that are relevant for the protection of the interests of industry
- Representatives of the federal states (including representatives of state data protection authorities)
- Representatives of the federal authorities concerned (including the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information)
- Representatives of professionally affected national and international standardization organizations
- Representatives of scientific institutions
Experts are named by gematik and confirmed by the Federal Ministry of Health .
Anyone who registers with vesta outside of the expert role can also comment on a standard, profile or guide as part of the so-called professional public.
Interoperability assessment
Submitted applications are evaluated with regard to the extent to which the technical and semantic standards, profiles and guidelines correspond to the interoperability specifications (specifications of gematik for use in specialist applications of the electronic health card and telematics infrastructure ).
For this purpose, the experts and the specialist public are given the opportunity to evaluate in an opinion or a comment to what extent the information requested for inclusion corresponds to the gematik interoperability specifications available at the time of the evaluation.
The assessment decision is made by gematik, taking into account the statements and comments.
The opinions of the experts and the comments of the specialist public as well as the final evaluation of the gematik are published on vesta standards.
With their statements, the experts can also provide gematik with recommendations for the implementation and use of the information included in the interoperability directory. In addition, gematik can ask the experts at any time for recommendations on the structure, maintenance and further development of the interoperability directory.
recommendation
According to Section 291e Paragraph 9 Clause 1 SGB V, gematik can recommend standards, profiles or guidelines that it has already included in the interoperability directory upon request as a reference for information technology systems in the healthcare sector.
For this purpose, gematik will announce on vesta standards for which technical and / or semantic standards, profiles or guidelines, which are not interoperability specifications, it will make recommendations in which time periods. In addition, gematik can make direct recommendations at any time apart from this announcement.
First of all, gematik creates a draft for the recommendation decision. The experts can already be involved in the preparation of this recommendation. In addition, gematik takes into account that, with regard to the economic efficiency requirement regulated in Section 12 of the Social Code Book V, standards, profiles and guidelines are recommended where possible, the publications of which can be viewed free of charge and which can be used free of charge.
After the draft has been created, both the experts and the specialist public have the opportunity to submit an opinion or comment.
The draft recommendation is published in vesta Standards together with the opinions of the experts, comments from the specialist public, the Federal Office for Information Security (if necessary) and the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (if necessary).
Gematik takes into account the statements and comments submitted and then makes the final recommendation.
Recommendations that gematik has already included in the interoperability directory can be terminated by gematik at any time with the involvement of experts and the specialist public or replace them with other recommendations. If a recommendation is to be replaced by a new recommendation, gematik will also set an appropriate transition period during which both recommendations apply.
In addition to the interoperability specifications, the recommendations are important for funding. Because it applies that electronic applications in the health care system can only be financed in whole or in part from funds of the statutory health insurance if the providers of the electronic applications observe the recommendations and stipulations.
Information portal
The vesta information portal is also anchored in § 291e SGB V. It is the successor to the telemedicine portal.
The vesta information portal offers an overview of telemedicine projects and electronic applications in the healthcare sector. As a central directory, the vesta information portal is intended to help minimize the lack of transparency and isolated solutions in the German healthcare system.
All telemedical projects and providers of electronic applications that are financed with funds from the statutory health insurance are required by law to apply for inclusion in the information portal (Section 291e, Paragraph 11, Clause 4, SGB V).
The entry in the information portal also enables other providers to place their telemedical application or their e-health project on this platform.
Web links
- www.vesta-gematik.de
- Section 291a SGBV - regulates the requirements for the eGK and the telematics infrastructure
- § 12 SGB V - economic efficiency requirement
Individual evidence
- ↑ Gematik's interoperability directory is online in: aerzteblatt.de , accessed on March 28, 2018
- ↑ German Bundestag - Directory vesta successfully introduced In: bundestag.de , January 22, 2018, accessed on March 28, 2018.
- ↑ Rules of Procedure and Procedure In: vesta-gematik.de , accessed on March 28, 2018.
- ↑ a b § 291e SGB V Interoperability Directory In: sozialgesetzbuch-sgb.de , accessed on 28 March 2018th