India rolls out terminology, drug registry

The terminology service will be set up for consistent interpretation and exchange of health data.

India’s National Health Authority (NHA) and National Resource Centre for Electronic Health Records Standards (NRCeS) will launch the Bharat Health Terminology Service (BHTS) in New Delhi, as part of its digital health initiatives.

BHTS will provide standardised healthcare terminologies, code systems and value sets for consistent interpretation and exchange of health data across digital health systems.

Alongside it, the government will launch the Drug Registry, which standardises medicine-related information and enables uniform coding of medicines across digital health applications.

Several other initiatives will be launched, including Aarogya Setu 2.0, a Personal Health Record app, which will consolidate ABHA creation and management, health record sharing, consent-based data exchange, AI-powered health insights, wearable integration, OPD "Scan & Register," hospital "Scan & Pay," medication reminders, facility and doctor discovery, and access to PM-JAY services.

An upgraded Ayushman App will serve as a one-stop platform for beneficiaries, covering eligibility checks, card services, treatment history, hospital discovery and grievance redressal.

The National Health Claims Exchange will standardise health claims exchange between providers and payers across public and private insurance, paired with a new NHA utility that converts insurers' plans into standardised FHIR bundles.

The Unified Health Interface, an open and interoperable network connecting citizens to healthcare providers, and e-Sushrut Clinic, a plug-and-play clinic management system for digitising clinical workflows and integrating with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission ecosystem, round out the launches.