Evidence-based medicine on FHIR augments the standards-based approach to digital health research

Sayeed et al report the completion of a digital health research study with an architecture using the HL7 Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standard to express the research workflow components, thus introducing the potential for a shared ecosystem for FHIR-based communication of research processes. Beyond the framework offered by these authors, the HL7 FHIR standard has been broadened to include resources for the reporting of research datasets and research findings (evidence), and can now support an architecture for the complete cycle of generation, analysis, dissemination, and application of health research. Making this cycle computable is especially important to reduce the delay in translating research into practice. In 2018, HL7 approved the FHIR Resources for Evidence-Based Medicine Knowledge Assets (EBMonFHIR) project to extend the methods and infrastructure of the HL7 FHIR standard to provide an interoperability standard for the electronic exchange of biomedical knowledge from and about clinical research and recommendations.1 As of 2025, the Evidence Based Medicine on FHIR Implementation Guide (EBMonFHIR IG) defines 90 profiles for FHIR resources for the representation of scientific knowledge and is intended for developers of systems using FHIR for data exchange of scientific knowledge and for authors of more specialized implementation guides in this domain.2