Slovenia’s eHealth strategy

The strategy document titled ‘Slovenija – e-zdravje za bolj zdravo družbo’ (Slovenia – eHealth for a Healthier Society), published in November 2022, outlines Slovenia’s national strategy for eHealth from 2022 to 2027. Developed under the EU’s Structural Reform Support Programme (SRSP), it defines the direction for a comprehensive transformation of Slovenia’s digital health system.

Purpose and foundations

The strategy is designed to:

• Guide the digital transformation of healthcare in Slovenia.
• Enable the introduction of the national electronic health record (eKarton).
• Establish a national telehealth framework.
• Improve interoperability, governance, and data-driven decision-making.
• Serve as a strategic and investment roadmap based on EU digital and health standards.

It builds upon Slovenia’s prior health reforms and aligns with broader EU frameworks such as the Recovery and Resilience Plan, the European Health Data Space, and the Digital Decade 2030 objectives.

Vision

By 2027, Slovenia’s eHealth system aims to be:

‘Patient-centered, secure, interoperable, and one of the most effective, accessible, and sustainable digital health ecosystems in the EU.’

This includes:

• Improving population health.
• Empowering citizens and health professionals through digital tools.
• Ensuring data security and interoperability.
• Promoting trust in digital services.
• Supporting value-based care.

Strategic goals

The main strategic goals span across six pillars:

1. Governance: Establishing a hybrid governance model that balances national standardisation with local autonomy. A Central National Unit (CNU) will be created to lead coordination, with stakeholder-inclusive advisory and executive boards.
2. Financing: Developing a transparent and sustainable financing model that includes:
   • Programmatic and performance-based budgeting.
   • Funding both central and local eHealth initiatives.
3. Services: Divided into:
   • User-facing services (e.g. patient portals, teleconsultations).
   • Enabling services (e.g. authentication, authorisation, data exchange).
     The goal is to ensure consistent, patient-centered digital healthcare services.
4. IT Infrastructure: Building an interoperable, secure, and scalable architecture including:
   • National data repositories.
   • Standardised APIs.
   • AI-ready systems.
   • Integration with telehealth, PACS, and clinical decision support.
5. Workforce: Creating and maintaining an interdisciplinary workforce that bridges health and IT expertise. Key areas include:
   • Training in digital skills.
   • Retention of IT-health specialists.
   • National coordination of digital workforce needs.
6. Legislation: Updating laws to support:
   • Secondary use of health data.
   • Cross-border data exchange.
   • Digital identity and consent mechanisms.
   • Telemedicine and ePrescription legality.

Implementation approach

• Workshops and stakeholder engagement were central to strategy development.
• Over 15 thematic workshops included input from ministries, public health institutions, hospitals, professional associations, and NGOs.
• A hybrid model for both governance and service delivery was chosen to reflect Slovenia’s size and decentralisation needs.
• Complementary documents provide detailed frameworks for telehealth, legislation, and eKarton rollout.

Future outlook

Slovenia aims to:

• Become a regional leader and exporter of eHealth solutions.
• Achieve one of the highest adoption rates of structured clinical data.
• Ensure full digitalisation and paperless workflows across healthcare.
• Promote AI-driven insights and data reuse for innovation and policymaking.
• Serve as a model in the EU for secure, equitable, and efficient digital healthcare.