Croatia's health system is among the leaders in the crossborder exchange of medical data in the EU, and using SNOMED Clinical Terms at national level will reduce obstacles to Croatia's entering all new initiatives at EU level which focus on the crossborder exchange and reuse of medical data, Minister Vili Beroš said.
SNOMED International was started in 2007 by Australia, Canada, Denmark, Lithuania, Sweden, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Its CEO, Don Sweete, said additional European connectivity was encouraging as it contributed to the connectivity of Europe's digital medical landscape. Croatia's membership, he added, proves that it recognises the benefits clinical terminology can bring citizens and the health system via SNOMED.
"Highly-developed and with a completely integrated, globalised economy, Croatia set e-health as a priority in its National Health Development Plan for the 2021-2027 period, which is in line with our comprehensive health reform," said Beroš.
Clinical terminology will play an important part in achieving the reform targets in e-health, notably greater interoperability and the secondary use of clinical data, giving more insight into a patient's condition and the care provided, which will facilitate better treatment outcomes and improving the nation's health, he added.