Real-world testing for eHealth interoperability

The Digital Health Projectathon enables all interested organisations to test the interoperability of their software solutions with the electronic patient record (EPR) and the AGOV authority login service (with or without e-ID). Furthermore, national digital health initiatives and services from the Swiss Health Data Space, such as the terminology server of the federal administration, can also be tested.

Internal link: 2026 Edition of the Digital Health Projectathon

External link: More information on the Swiss Health Data Space

“Sharing with open standards”

The Digital Health Projectathon is a medical informatics testing event based on the principles of the External link: IHE Europe Connectathon . While IHE Connectathons aims to test a wide range of international standards and profiles, the Digital Health Projectathon focuses on testing the compliance and interoperability of technical solutions with one or more publicly driven digital health service projects in Switzerland. The Projectathon's target audience is IT-providers for healthcare institutions, mobile applications and other digital health services. Conferences and a networking evening highlight the community spirit and the exchange of best practices between medical IT specialists and the larger “Digital Health Community”.

Benefits of participating in the Digital Health Projectathon

The Digital Health Projectathon allows solving real-world interoperability problems with group testing, peer reviews and validations by experts. It accelerates the development and improves the long-term stability of software, platforms and other IT solutions.

The Swiss Health Data Space (SwissHDS) is building on the structure offered by the internationally recognised standard HL7 FHIR®. FHIR® interfaces and FHIR®-based national exchange formats can be tested with the EPR. This FHIR® infrastructure offers a transition to the future Electronic Health Record and the SwissHDS. Adapting IT solutions to the FHIR® standards is to invest in sustainable products, which can fit within the SwissHDS environment.

External link: Learn more about the SwissHDS

External link: Lean more about the HL7 FHIR® Standard

External link: Learn more about the future Swiss Electronic Health Record

Join other industry leaders, share experiences and help shape digital connectivity in the Swiss healthcare sector.

Testing at the Projectathon

Testing is done under the supervision of experts, called monitors, who support, control and validate the tested profile or process done by participants, called vendors.

The Digital Health Projectathon offers three types of tests: “no-peer”, “peer-to-peer” and “group testing”. No-peer testing can be done year-round on the Reference Environment, either to validate the conformity of the solution or to simulate a data exchange with the “machine”. Peer-to-peer and group testing allow the execution of near-real scenarios and thus a steep learning curve.

The Reference Environment is used as a testing environment at the Digital Health Projectathon. It is available year-round for no-peer tests.

External link: Reference Environment

Stay informed

A Digital Health Projectathon Google Group gives IT specialists a forum in which to share questions and information related to the event, e.g. about registration dates, profiles for testing, etc. and about the Reference Environment. If you wish to join the group, please contact the group leaders. For general information on the Digital Health Projectathon, you can also subscribe to the newsletter from eHealth Suisse, IHE Suisse or the DigiSanté programme.

Register for:

External link: Digital Health Projectathon Google group

Internal link: eHealth Suisse newsletter

External link: IHE Suisse news

External link: DigiSanté newsletter

2025 edition

The DigitalHealth Projectathon 2025 took place from 16 to 18 September 2025 at the Eventforum Bern. The event was organised by eHealth Suisse, the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) and IHE Suisse. In addition to testing profiles for the electronic patient record (EPR) and electronic communication of laboratory reports (CH-ELM), participating companies also had the opportunity to test the connection of their applications to the Swiss AGOV authentication service with e-ID (Beta-ID). This new feature was the result of a special collaboration with the Swiss Federal Chancellery as part of this year's Projectathon.

External link: Final report 2025  (3.2 MB, 11/03/25)

History of the EPR Projectathon

The first EPR Projectathon took place in Köniz (Canton Bern) in 2017. It then took place annually until 2024, generally in Bern. In Spring 2018 and 2019, additional special EPR Projectathon sessions were held within the IHE-Europe Connectathons in The Hague and in Rennes. The September 2022 EPR Projectathon took place alongside the IHE Connectathon in Montreux.

External link: Final EPR Projectathon reports 2017–2024 (16 MB, 04/14/25)