ObsCare^® — Obstetric Data Exchange & Clinical Interoperability

Introduction

The digital transformation of healthcare increasingly depends on the ability to share clinical information across institutions in a secure, efficient, and standardised way. Yet many systems remain isolated, creating information silos that hinder care continuity and clinical decision-making. As citizens move between different healthcare providers, ensuring that clinical data travels with them becomes essential. In this context, interoperability plays a central role. VirtualCare^®, through the ObsCare^® system, has been developing solutions that make precisely this evolution possible: structured clinical data exchange, focused on the obstetric domain and aligned with European initiatives.

The Challenge of Health Data Exchange

The fragmentation of health information systems remains one of the main barriers to interoperability. Relevant data is frequently confined to a single institution, making it impossible to use in other clinical contexts. This limitation directly impacts care continuity, patient safety, and the efficiency of healthcare professionals. The absence of effective sharing mechanisms makes it difficult to build an integrated view of a citizen's clinical journey. The need is clear: data must be able to flow between systems, institutions, and care settings, while maintaining security, privacy, and integrity requirements at all times.

VirtualCare's Approach with ObsCare^®

ObsCare^® is a clinical system developed by VirtualCare^®, specialised in the obstetric domain, which has evolved to support advanced interoperability scenarios. Beyond clinical management, the system enables the creation of structured documents such as the International Patient Summary (IPS), adapted to the obstetric context.

The Interoperability Flow

The developed flow centres on the creation and sharing of an International Patient Summary (IPS) with an obstetric profile, enabling relevant clinical information to be transmitted between institutions. The process begins with document generation in ObsCare^®, where obstetric information is structured according to international standards. From that point, the document can be made available through different transport and access mechanisms, allowing flexibility in integration with other systems.

European Projects Involved

This work is developed within the framework of three European projects in which VirtualCare^® actively participates: i2X, xShare, and myHealth@myHands. These projects share a common objective: to promote interoperability, secure data sharing, and the creation of a more integrated digital health ecosystem. Participation in these initiatives allows ObsCare's development to be aligned with European best practices and standards.

Alignment with the European Health Data Space (EHDS)

The European Health Data Space represents one of the European Union's key initiatives to transform the way health data is used, shared, and governed. The interoperability flow developed demonstrates how clinical systems can adapt to this new paradigm by ensuring interoperability between systems, data security and protection, and citizen-centricity. By supporting multiple sharing and integration models, ObsCare^® is positioned as a system ready to operate within this European health data ecosystem.

Impact on Clinical Practice

The ability to share clinical data between institutions has a direct impact on the quality of care delivered. When information travels with the citizen, healthcare professionals have access to relevant data at the right moment, duplication of tests and records is reduced, and care continuity and coordination are improved. In the obstetric context, where follow-up may involve multiple entities, this capability becomes even more critical.

Conclusion

nteroperability in healthcare is not merely a technological matter — it is an essential element for ensuring safer, more efficient, and citizen-centred care. The work carried out by VirtualCare^® with ObsCare^® demonstrates that it is possible to build concrete solutions that promote data exchange between institutions in a secure manner, fully aligned with the European regulatory framework. More than integrating systems, this is about enabling clinical information to flow where it is needed — contributing to a more connected health system, ready for the future.

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