Welcome to HL7 Australia. We are a membership-based not-for-profit public company limited by guarantee that exists to facilitate adoption of digital health in Australia by promoting effective use of standards and products developed by HL7 International and supporting their enhancement to meet local needs.
Welcome to HL7 Australia. We are a membership-based not-for-profit public company limited by guarantee that exists to facilitate adoption of digital health in Australia by promoting effective use of standards and products developed by HL7 International and supporting their enhancement to meet local needs.
Welcome to HL7 Australia
HL7 Australia began in Australia in 1998 under the auspices of Standards Australia IT-14 Health Informatics Committee. In May 2002, it was first incorporated independently as the HL7 Australasia User Group.
In March 2010 the name changed to HL7 Australia; and in December 2019 HL7 Australia restructured, becoming a limited company.
HL7 Australia Ltd is the local affiliate of HL7 International. This gives members of HL7 Australia the right to participate in many HL7 International activities.
HL7 Australia Ltd continues to make an important and significant contribution to the work of HL7 International and global health informatics standards development more generally.
We create and promote the adoption of cutting-edge, consensus-based interoperability standards that enable a digitally enabled, person-centred, inclusive, and data-driven health ecosystem.
By 2029, we aspire:
To be recognised as a critical partner in the digital transformation of the Australian health ecosystem.
For HL7 and HL7 Australia standards to underpin the provision of secure, fit-for-purpose, and connected digital solutions nationwide.
For the Australian healthcare sector to recognise us as the leading health informatics standards development and implementation organisation in Australia.
Over 2025, the HL7 Australia Board developed two foundational documents: our Business and Operating Models, and ourStrategy 2025-2029. These documents outline how HL7 Australia creates, captures, and delivers value, and how we’re structured to achieve our mission and vision within evolving contexts.
The Australian Government, aligned with global trends, prioritises standards-based interoperability, with HL7 FHIR® as a core component, to transform and improve our health system. This direction has been embraced by the health and health software sectors, evidenced by the success of the Sparked program—a collaboration between the Commonwealth Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, the Australian Digital Health Agency, HL7 Australia, and the CSIRO—in accelerating FHIR development and implementation through strong stakeholder engagement.
These developments necessitate HL7 Australia’s transition from a provider of optional standards to an engaged supplier of critical health sector infrastructure. Our foundational documents detail this strategic shift.
Our Strategy 2025-2029 identifies seven key result areas crucial to achieving our vision:
Substantially grow our membership by enhancing value to members and partners.
Systematically build HL7 workforce capabilities in Australia.
Provide diverse and effective pathways for consensus-based HL7 standards development.
Modernise our infrastructure to increase value for members and partners.
Lead the development of the HL7 component within a national standards roadmap.
Enhance our organisational maturity and sustainability.
Deliver Australia’s best standards development, adoption, and implementation events.
HL7 Australia hosts at least three FHIR Connectathon events each year. These are ticketed events and are advertised here, on our HL7 Australia Confluence page.
HL7 Australia hosts at least three FHIR Connectathon events each year. These are ticketed events and are advertised here, on our HL7 Australia Confluence page.
If you’re interested in sponsoring a Connectathon, please get in touch with our Events Team here.
Health Level Seven® International (HL7®) is the global authority on standards for interoperability of health technology with members in over 40 countries.
Health Level Seven® International (HL7®) is the global authority on standards for interoperability of health technology with members in over 40 countries.
In the past two years, through its partnership with the University of Melbourne and CSIRO, and with funding from the Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA), HL7 Australia has trained in excess of 1,000 individuals in the use of FHIR.
We are proud of this partnership which has developed and delivered a range of courses from introducing FHIR to healthcare leaders and project managers to courses providing software developers with an understanding of FHIR fundamentals and an introduction to SMART on FHIR.
Going forward, expressions of interest for Agency funded FHIR training courses will transfer from HL7 Australia to the ADHA directly. For information on future Agency funded FHIR training please go here.
In recognition of their sustained contribution and commitment to the development of HL7 standards, HL7 Australia recognises the following individuals as honorary life members:
Grahame Grieve
Heather Grain
Vince McCauley
Richard Dixon-Hughes
Trish Williams
Life Membership is conferred on an individual by the Board (by simple majority) at a General Meeting.
HL7 standards support clinical practice and the management, delivery, and evaluation of health services, and are recognized as the most commonly used in the world.
