Streamlining wearable data integration for EHDS: a case study on advancing healthcare interoperability using Garmin...

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Health Informatics
• Wearable Technology

Background:

• Patient-Generated Health Data (PGHD) from wearables offers potential for personalized care and chronic disease management.
• Challenges in technical, regulatory, and interoperability aspects hinder PGHD integration into healthcare systems, particularly concerning Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) and the European Health Data Space (EHDS).

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the technical feasibility of collecting, standardizing, and integrating PGHD from a Garmin smartwatch into a FHIR server.
• To assess the compatibility of heterogeneous data from research platforms with FHIR resources.
• To evaluate compliance with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements for PGHD integration.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a Garmin Vívoactive 4 smartwatch for PGHD collection.
• Integrated data into a Kodjin FHIR server via the Fitrockr hub and API for standardized storage and transfer.
• Examined data from the Modular Open Research Platform (MORE) for FHIR resource compatibility.

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated secure collection, mapping, and transfer of Garmin device data into a FHIR environment.
• Fitrockr hub integration ensured structured data formatting and reliability.
• Confirmed that heterogeneous data types from the MORE platform can be represented using appropriate FHIR resources, highlighting technical feasibility and scalability.

Conclusions:

• PGHD from wearable devices can be standardized and transferred into healthcare systems, adhering to international standards and European regulations.
• This integration bridges the gap between personal health data and medical decision-making.
• Supports the objectives of the EHDS and facilitates further research and innovation with PGHD.