# openEHR 'Explainathon' **Category:** [Confs & Events](https://discourse.openehr.org/c/conferences-events/26) **Created:** 2025-09-13 14:50 UTC **Views:** 467 **Replies:** 26 **URL:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/openehr-explainathon/11393 --- ## Post #1 by @Abi Have you ever been momentarily stumped when asked to explain exactly what openEHR is? What it does? Why it matters? Conversations about the importance of open standards in healthcare are crucial, and getting the message across - in a way that can be easily understood by everyone, not just techies - can be pretty challenging. :thinking: @Lars_Fuhrmann - a member of this year’s fellowship cohort - has had the brilliant idea of inviting members of the community to share their own version of ‘openEHR 101’ at EHRCON25 in Barcelona. Think of it as a ‘show-and-tell-meets-pitch-slam’, with participants given the chance to explain openEHR in just 5 minutes, keeping in mind the following: :eyes: * Maximum 1 slide per ‘pitch’ (slides are not obligatory, and a flip chart will be provided) :memo: * Props are encouraged - the more innovative, the better! :light_bulb: * Use whatever analogy works for you :sun_behind_cloud: :unlocked: :open_book: * Your presentation cannot exceed 5 minutes :hourglass_done: * Bonus points for **avoiding** the words: archetype, clinical modelling, semantic harmonisation, datatypes, mapping, terminology bindings… :astonished_face: * The lucky winner will take home a coveted prize :trophy: If you’re interested in taking part, email events@openehr.org or send me a DM on this platform before Friday 19 September. :e_mail: --- ## Post #2 by @mikael [quote="Abi, post:1, topic:11393"] Bonus points for **avoiding** the words: archetype, clinical modelling, semantic harmonisation, datatypes, mapping, terminology bindings… [/quote] Wow. It is still ok to use the terms “blood pressure” and “Lego”! :slight_smile: --- ## Post #3 by @DavidIngram I love this idea - an extended variation on the classic elevator pitch - what you can say during the ride between floors in a lift!! Look forward to watching the recordings! Thank you. --- ## Post #4 by @Abi @mikael really you can use ANY words, ANY props, ANY means you see fit…. we all :blue_heart: Lego. It would be great to get the community sharing their tools and tips… :wink: --- ## Post #5 by @Abi Yes exactly @DavidIngram, I bet there are some great ‘pitches’ out there already that we could all benefit from! :blue_heart: --- ## Post #6 by @canimani Hi, I am interested to join. best regards, Osama --- ## Post #7 by @Abi Thank you @canimani - I will register your interest and be in touch with more details. --- ## Post #8 by @Lars_Fuhrmann Hi Abi! Thank you so much for putting this in motion! you can definitely count me in. The background is that in my presentations i often spend quite a bit of time covering the “symptoms” of our current IT landscape and the “pathogenesis” of these issues and wanting to end by explaining a lot about the Archetypes and their potential uses. This meant i usually did not have more than 1-2 slides and less than 5 minutes to explain openEHR and it’s multi-level approach. And I thought I can’t be the only one with that problem. Some things crossed my mind, just as suggestions: * I think it would be great if we could be a bit flexible about the scope of the presentations so that we can align with what people think they are best at explaining. Maybe some want to cover what openEHR is as a whole, maybe some want to cover how Archetypes/Templates/Compositions work. Maybe some want to cover AQL or the Semantic versioning/archetype publishing process? Or how openEHR relates to other standards? openEHR’s Organisational structure? I think it would be great to have people show off whatever they are best at explaining, all of these things may need to be consisely explained to non-openEHR experts in some situations. * Maybe it makes sense to give participants the chance to say who the target audience for their pitch would be, whether that is how you would explain it to clinicians, to patients, insurers, political decision makers, EHR vendors or a bunch of 10-year olds etc. I think needs to be clear so that the EHRCON audience can farly judge whether the explanation would be well-suited for that target audience. (of course, toy props may work well with all of those :wink: ) * So I’m not sure about whether we need a strict list of terms to avoid, if someone wants to do a “what are archetypes”-pitch it may make sense to call them by that name? * If we are going to record it maybe we need a second camera to show the presenter’s hands/props more closely, and probably a table to rest those props on. Here are some potentially useful things that i found laying around in my home. I won’t tell you which one’s I’ll use, but I will take all of them to barcelona. So anyone can feel free use them in their presentations. ![image|664x500](upload://A8qG9bohZpnWbhQPBfwN0sQ56cG.jpeg) I probably won’t take all the lego’s with me, let me know if you need special ones… I might be able to find duplo’s as well, those are a bit bigger and easier to see. No need to tell me what you will need from these until the last minute, I will take them with me anyway, keep your secrets :wink: also pinging @Sidharth_Ramesh @SevKohler and I’ll invite my fellow fellows.. I mean, Abi said there’s a prize!! --- ## Post #9 by @Abi @Lars_Fuhrmann thanks so much for this! You’re absolutely right and we will leave this to the community/presenters to choose how to present their pitches. * We are 100% flexible about what people choose to present - and to whom * No terms are banned, but innovation and novelty are encouraged * A table will be available for demonstration purposes * Anything goes! We’re still hoping for more expresssions of interest, so if this idea appeals to anyone in the community then please get in touch. It’s a great opportunity for knowledge sharing. :brain: --- ## Post #10 by @Koray_Atalag I literally bought into openEHR when I bumped into Tom in an elevator back in 2001 or 2002 at a conference in Berlin! Not sure all of those words were even invented by then :smiley: --- ## Post #11 by @Koray_Atalag At an internal departmental meeting, I invited people to pick a clinical concept (yes blood pressure measurement was one of them!) and hold an A4 paper with the mindmap of Archetypes and then asked them to group in ways to represent some key documents like discharge summary, lab request, diabetic assessment etc. It was fun and a way to illustrate reusability :smiley: --- ## Post #12 by @Sidharth_Ramesh I know it ‘s a bit late, but I’d like to have a go at this! Would be fun! Any time slot decided for when and where this would happen? Don’t want to miss out on other sessions. --- ## Post #13 by @JPMesserli Hello I have only just discovered the challenge. For a high-level explanation of openEHR, I use three PPT slides: * Trends in medical documentation (from a booklet with notes for all patients to cloud-based shared medical records) * Trends in medical information systems (best-of-breed, best-of-suite, best-of-platform) * Trends in basic concepts (application-driven, data-driven, workflow-driven) Conclusion: openEHR is the enabler of these trends, which allow for cross-organisational, standardised long-term storage of medical data. Is that acceptable for the challenge? It’s rather trivial, but if there aren’t enough registrations, I can participate. Jean-Pierre --- ## Post #14 by @Lars_Fuhrmann If we don’t get enough participants we may have to choose people on the spot and have them draw the topic, Prop and target audience from three hats. Explain ”*AQL*” using “*a plush Penguin*” to “*a class of first year medical students*” :grinning_face: --- ## Post #15 by @Abi This sounds like fun. Charades X pictionary :rofl: --- ## Post #16 by @Eugene_Kolah This sounds like fun, can we join virtually 😅 --- ## Post #17 by @Abi Sidharth, the session is booked for lunchtime on Thursday 17th, so you won't miss out on any of the other sessions. --- ## Post #18 by @Abi I’m not sure this will be possible @Eugene_Kolah but perhaps you can send us a recording? --- ## Post #19 by @Abi So, to sum up… What: openEHR Explainathon/Pitchfest :loudspeaker: Where: Sala Raval, CCCB Barcelona (EHRCON25) When: 12:30-13:30 (lunchtime), Thursday 16 October 2025 (bring your lunch with you :fork_and_knife:) Who: Moderated by @Lars_Fuhrmann, we’re looking forward to hearing ‘pitches’ from: @canimani, @mikael, @Sidharth_Ramesh, @Koray_Atalag, @SevKohler, @JPMesserli and anyone else who would like to share their ideas- @heather.leslie- a good opportunity to get the 'Lego’ bricks out? Anything goes, but please try to remember: * Slides are not obligatory, but if you use them please try to keep explanations to **a single slide** :bar_chart: * Props are welcome - feel free to bring your plush penguins, Lego, jigsaw pieces - whatever works for you! :penguin: * Innovation will be rewarded :light_bulb: * And yes, there will be a prize :trophy: See you in Barcelona :woman_dancing: :spain: --- ## Post #20 by @Lars_Fuhrmann Thanks Abi and to everyone volunteering! I don’t want to discourage anyone else, but I am thinking that 6 participants is actually quite a good number for 1 hour time, as I think it would be great if we left a little bit of room inbetween to discuss/give feedback to make it a bit more interactive (+vote at the end?). It would be a bit of a shame to have to hurry this too much, especially if it is as fun as I hope. I suspect that lunch sessions don’t always start exactly on time, so there will already effectively be <5 min between presentations for feedback/discussions/setup, which is not a lot. While I did originally plan to participate myself i would also be happy to just be the moderator (first time, so please be nice everyone! :wink: ). --- ## Post #21 by @JPMesserli Hello, I don’t necessarily have to participate, as I probably don’t meet the participation criteria (3 PPT slides). You are welcome to plan the session without me. Please let me know. Jean-Pierre --- ## Post #22 by @Lars_Fuhrmann Hi, Abi and I just had a call and I wanted to update: 1. There was a small misunderstanding earlier, nothing of consequence except that I will present in place of @SevKohler 2. We talked about how this would be filmed and how the results would be circulated, @Abi an agreed that having an atmosphere where people feel comfortable experimenting with unexplored explanation styles takes priority over the completeness of the public video record. So we will have a video setup there but will let contestant decide whether they want to be filmed and how they want their individual material to be circulated after they have had a chance to watch it themselves. Also I just realized it would be great to have second camera angle for the contestants handsat least when it comes to props.. is anyone going to have a suitable tripod+camera or phone setup with them? @Sidharth_Ramesh maybe? @JPMesserli as you wish! As it stands we would be 5 if you don’t take part and 6 if you do, both would be ok, and I am sure you could do it with one slide! ;) --- ## Post #23 by @JPMesserli @Lars_Fuhrmann Hi, thank you so much for organising the challenge. However, I’m going to step back and not participate. Thanks for understanding. --- ## Post #24 by @Lars_Fuhrmann No worries! :slightly_smiling_face: --- ## Post #25 by @yampeku Coming back from the EHRCON25 I can firmly say that Lars explanation definitely is the way to go: Nice metaphors for complex concepts! --- ## Post #26 by @ian.mcnicoll Share please @Lars_Fuhrmann --- ## Post #27 by @Lars_Fuhrmann Hi All, Thanks @yampeku for the kind words! However, I’m not sure we can make any fair comparisons because the session did not go quite as planned. Just a bit of an unlucky combination where many people did not realize when and where it was happening or were caught in the queue for food, including some of the would-be contestants. So after a while @Abi and I decided the best option would be to try and shift this whole thing online and record what we would have performed. @Sidharth_Ramesh @Koray_Atalag @canimani @mikael Is that an option for you? Fortunately I still got to demonstrate my bit to @ukpenguin, @yampeku and @Abi, and later “The Archetypes” (the band) let me take the stage to show it to people at the bar, I hope I was not the only one that enjoyed that :wink: **Basically my explanation goes like this:** The silo-shaped cube sorting toy (see photo above) represents a traditional EHR. Its cover with the differently shaped holes represent the user interface. It looks structured, and at first you think you know which information is going to go where, until you see that what the users (me) push through each of these holes (data entry fields) is quite unpredicteable (as I proceed to cram any sort of block thorugh any sort of hole) So the result is that when you open up that traditional EHR you don’t find neat stacks of blocks, instead you find a tangled mess of *strings* (excuse the pun), and some things where you don’t know what they mean or how they got in there ( I think @ukpenguin may have a picture of what that looked like). How are you ever going to untagle it to share it with anyone? In contrast, for openEHR we start off with a blank puzzle (reference model?), on which we then have clinicians from around the wold paint a picture **together**. We ask them to paint what they have in mind when they record things about a certain clinical concept ( i.e. an Archetype). The rules being that everyone can paint what they need on it, but they *have to share one puzzle per clinical concept such as blood pressure measurement*. So each of the puzzle pieces (data elements) represent something that someone, somewhere wants to record about that clinical concept. Now, the second part of openEHR is represented by a little piggy bank into which we can put the puzzle pieces from the step before. I did not cover templating in detail but basically explained that in different care settings, different parts of the puzzles (data elements from the Archetypes) would be used - and that is fine. We can’t get tangled anymore, because (as I proceed to pull out puzzle pieces out of the piggy), we know that each puzzle piece is part of a bigger picture we have agreed on it advance. And because we don’t really want to be puzzled we have just numbered the puzzle pieces on their backside and where they belong on the baseplate ( at001, at002…). So whatever I pull out of the piggy bank, I can immediately say which part of the painted puzzle they were. So I ended by saying something like “openEHR being both the tools and the community that can that can help you turn your health database from a silo full of tangled strings into an information piggy bank where you know where your datapoints fit in the bigger picture” Something like that, anyway! I’ll try and iron out some of the details and record a video :wink: Please let me know if you spot room for improvement! --- **Canonical:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/openehr-explainathon/11393 **Original content:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/openehr-explainathon/11393