Three Largest Latvian Hospitals Launch Shared Oncology Patient Data Platform
Riga East University Hospital, Paula Stradins Clinical University Hospital, and Children's Clinical University Hospital have started using a common platform for exchanging oncology patient data, aiming to improve treatment coordination and reduce administrative burden.
The three largest clinical university hospitals in Latvia – Riga East University Hospital (RAKUS), Paula Stradins Clinical University Hospital (PSKUS), and Children's Clinical University Hospital (BKUS) – have begun using a new data exchange platform designed for sharing medical information of oncology patients. The platform was developed by the Latvian Digital Health Center (LDVC) as part of the e-Health ecosystem.
The platform allows doctors to access patient information regardless of which of the three hospitals the patient is being treated at. It ensures a continuous and coordinated treatment process, including the possibility to hold inter-hospital video consultations, make referrals for radiation therapy or surgeries at another institution. This reduces administrative burden and paper document flow while improving care quality.
As part of the project, an inter-hospital consultation module was developed, enabling secure remote consultations, document and data sharing, and integrated video communication for real-time collaboration. So far, consultations have been held in neurology, endocrinology, palliative care, multidisciplinary oncology, and ophthalmology. This helps unify treatment planning, reduce duplication of tests, and accelerate decision-making.
The platform also supports coordinated planning of radiation therapy and diagnostic examinations, as well as harmonization of surgery schedules between hospitals, leading to more efficient resource use and shorter waiting times for patients. The new system has been operational since early summer of this year.
Nora Kaufmane, Head of Information Systems Development at LDVC, notes that the platform will provide doctors with faster access to more complete patient medical information, allowing them to make more informed decisions and plan treatment more effectively. It will also address a long-standing issue – the digital continuity of care for pediatric oncology patients transitioning from child to adult healthcare.
The project “Creation of an Oncology Patient Data Exchange Platform for Clinical University Hospitals” is implemented with support from the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility. Total costs amount to €4,652,525, of which €4,289,750 is EU funding. The project beneficiary is the East University Hospital, with partners including the other two hospitals, LDVC, the Center for Disease Prevention and Control, the State Digital Development Agency, and the National Health Service.
