MedCom is a co-operative venture between authorities, organisations and private firms linked to the Danish healthcare sector. In the 1999 financial agreement between the counties and central government, it was decided that MedCom would be made permanent, with the following objective:

MedCom is financed by: Ministry of Health and Prevention Ministry of Social Welfare Danish National Board of Health Danish Regions   Local Government Denmark Danish Pharmaceutical Association

Prior permanent MedCom, two MedCom projects have run for limited periods: MedCom I and MedCom II.

The first MedCom project was carried out in 1995-1996, with the aim of developing and testing nationwide EDI communication standards for the messages most commonly used between general practitioners and the rest of the healthcare sector - for example discharge letters, laboratory results and prescriptions.

MedCom II was carried out in 1997-1999 and ensured large-scale dissemination of the communication standards developed in the first project period. In addition, a number of pilot projects were carried out, with communication in areas such as local authorities, physiotherapy and dentistry, as well as telemedicine projects.

In MedCom III (2000-2001) activities concerning consolidation of existing EDI communication, internet projects, municipality projects and international projects were carried through.

In MedCom IV (2002-2005) large-scale communication between the local authority home help, the SUP and mini-IRSK projects within the hospital services, and the practical implementation of MedCom's internet strategy, including the connection to sundhed.dk was accomplished. In addition permanent tasks concerning the expansion and the quality assurance of the existing EDI communication between the practice sector and the additional health sector occured.

MedCom V (2006-2007) were carried through as an affect of the structural reform and the introduction of a new technology in the cross-sectorial health communication, focusing on OIO-XML and service oriented architecture. Activities within six project lines were conducted: Local authority projects, cooperation with sundhed.dk, the medicines project, the SUP/e-journal project, the consolidation/dissemination project, and the web service/macropilot.

MedCom VI (2008-2009) is highly affected by the IT-strategy in the healthcare field from December 2007. This includes the plan of action for implementation from "Digital Sundhed" (a danish webpage for digital health). MedCom's tasks are specified in 8 project lines:

1. "FMK" - Practice Sector

FMK (The Common Medicine Card) makes updated information about patients' medication available across the healthcare sector. MedCom is responsible for dissemination of the FMK to general practitioners' practices and to specialist doctors.   

2. "SIP" - Reporting

The objective of the SIP (standardised reporting from the primary sector) is to secure standardized integration between the general practitioners' IT-systems and national registers by the use of the following instruments: "Sundhedsdatanettet - SDN" (The Danish Healthcare Data Network), the standards from "Den Gode Web Service" - DGWS (The Good Web Service), and "Den Dynamiske Blanket" (The Dynamic Blanket).

3. "SDN" - The Danish Healthcare Data Network

An expanded SDN is included in the strategies for the infrastructure in the Danish healthcare sector where, to begin with, supporting initiation of the FMK includes establishment of fixed high-speed connections and improved support and surveillance.

4. MedCom Standards

In the period of MedCom VI, maintenance of existing and development of new MedCom standards is also needed. This includes setting of health professional content and appurtenant practical testing and certification of the supplier's implementation.

5. e-journal

The e-journal solution contains data about patients' treatments at the hospitals and is established as a tool for clinical information distribution between practitioners at the hospitals and practices and also for patients. In the MedCom VI period, the eJournal project will be passed on in a close collaboration with the Danish Regions, sundhed.dk, and Digital Sundhed.

6. Consolidation / Dissemination

The daily electronic communication in relation to the practical sector and the laboratory area give rise to a number of different activities. These could for example be: dissemination of the special doctors' referral hotel, a number of laboratory medicinal projects, development of the PLO-format for exchange of patients' journals in the practical sector, and consolidation of MedCom's test centre.

7. Municipality projects

The Municipality projects are broadly grounded in the municipal part of the healthcare sector: the home care's communication with hospitals, general practitioners, and pharmacies, exchange of rehabilitation plans, healthcare communication/childbirth reporting, social medical collaboration / "LĘ" blanket exchange, and finally prevention, including standards of referral.

8. Telemedicine

The national program for increased use of telemedicine has the overall goal to deal with the short-staff situation in the healthcare sector through increased use of telemedicine without loss in the quality of delivered healthcare service. MedCom manages the program management for the telemedicine venture.