AeHIN GAPS

Governance, Architecture, Peope & Program Management, and Standards & Interoperability in Digital Health

GAPS 1.0

A framework on digital health governance, architecture, people and program management, and standards and interoperability (GAPS) inspired by collective learning points and key messages from AeHIN-organized conferences and meetings since 2012

AeHIN believes that interoperability and responsive health information systems are possible. Through the ‘Mind the GAPS and Fill the GAPS Framework,’ the complex points in health information systems can be compartmentalized. It summarizes the main areas that countries can work on in order to efficiently and effectively carry out their digital health strategies. AeHIN encourages countries to lay out a clear governance structure and framework to guide the design and implementation of a blueprint (enterprise architecture).

This governance structure and framework should ensure that stakeholders understand and follow the blueprint (people and program management) and standards needed for interoperability. The framework promotes capacity-building in IT governance (COBIT5), enterprise architecture (TOGAF), program management (PRINCE2), and standards and interoperability (HL7/IHE).

GAPS 2.0

A call to action towards strengthening digital health ecosystem in Asia

Since 2012, AeHIN has crafted and organized activities to strengthen countries' capacity to develop robust digital health programs by addressing their persistent problems in governance, architecture, people and program management, and standards and interoperability. Continuing its mission to strengthen regional and countries' digital health strategies and implementation, AeHIN organized a two-day write-shop on 14-15 May 2023 at the National Institutes of Health, Institute for Clinical Research, Ministry of Health in Selangor, Malaysia. The AeHIN Governing Committee, Secretariat, and Working Council members from 14 countries in the region participated in the write-shop. The participants, representing the countries in various capacities at the Ministry of Health, national digital health authorities, private sector, academia, and not-for-profit organizations, explored different country situations in crafting a digital health call to action for the governments, outlining specific steps based on AeHIN's ‘Mind the GAPS and Fill the GAPS’ framework.

This call to action is to encourage the region and regional countries to take impact-oriented steps that could improve the design and implementation of digital health strategies to propel the overall digital health maturity to the next stage, regardless of their current level of maturity. Stakeholders encompass the private, academic, and non-government sectors, including international development partners. If the call is acted upon proactively, countries can aim to onboard various health and non-health stakeholders and have a harmonized digital ecosystem that integrates digital health with the country's overall digital infrastructure. It will also ensure accountability for actions, build capacity and ownership among accountable people, promote multi-sector coordination, and enhance innovation.

The call to action is based on AeHIN's GAPS framework, and five calls to action cover the areas of Governance, Architecture, People and Program Management, and Standards and Interoperability.

Call to Action: Governance

Institutionalize a sustainable, inclusive, resilient, and collaborative digital health governance mechanism.

Call to Action: Architecture

Implement an integrated, standardized, and costed digital health blueprint that is aligned with national health and digital vision and strategies.

Call to Action: People & Program Management

Program Management: Establish a national digital health program management unit (PMU) or a digital transformation/collaboration office.

People: Support primary healthcare advocacy by improving digital health literacy and the use of digital health services and applications by families and communities.

Call to Action: Standards and Interoperability

Achieve interoperability by adopting standards.

Get Involved

We request representatives from a country's government agency and development partners to answer the form below for any digital health convergence workshop-related inquiries and requests.