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Health informatics — International patient summary

This document defines the core data set for a patient summary document that supports continuity of care for a person and coordination of their healthcare.

Documentation

About this standard

Publisher
ISO/TC215
Reference code
ISO 27269:2021
Publication date
1 January 2021
Status
Active
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Active. Active standards are stable, maintained and have been approved, assured or endorsed for use by qualified bodies.

Deprecated Deprecated standards are available for use and are maintained, but are being phased out, so new functionality will not be added.

Retired standards Retired standards are not being maintained or supported and should not be used.

Standard type
Information standards
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Collections. A Collection is a systematic gathering of a specified selection of data or information for a particular stated purpose from existing records held within health and care systems and electronic devices.

Extractions. An extraction is a type of collection that is pulled from an operational system by the data controller and transmitted to the receiver without additional processing or transcription by the sender.

Information standards. Information standards are agreed ways of doing something, written down as a set of precise criteria so they can be used as rules, guidelines, or definitions.

Technical Standards and specifications. Technical standards and specifications specify how to make information available technically including how the data is structured and transported.

Contact point

iso@iso.org

Using this standard

Applies to
  • Government Regulators
  • Patient and Caregivers
  • Healthcare Administrators
  • Clinicians
  • Vendors
  • Digital Health Agencies and NGOs
Impacts on
Person or provider digital health systems; Health information structure, content, meaning; Health information access / interoperability; Formal identification of health information

Topics and care settings

Topic
  • Data definitions and terminologies
  • International Standards
  • Patient communication

Review Information

Scope
ISO Area/Topic: Electronic Health Record; Data Governance, Patient ISO Interoperability Category: Structural
Registration status

ISO - standard

Registration authority

ISO

Technical Committee

WG1

More information

This document defines the core data set for a patient summary document that supports continuity of care for a person and coordination of their healthcare. It is specifically aimed at supporting the use case’ scenario for ‘unplanned, cross border care’ and is intended to be an international patient summary (IPS). Whilst the data set is minimal and non-exhaustive, it provides a robust, well-defined core set of data items. The tight focus on this use case also enables the IPS to be used in planned care. This means that both unplanned and planned care can be supported by this data set within local and national contexts, thereby increasing its utility and value.

Page last updated: 01 December 2025