EHRbase is a free, open-source openEHR clinical data repository: a server backend that stores structured health records and exposes them through the openEHR REST API and the Archetype Query Language (AQL). It is for developers, health-informatics teams and researchers building clinical applications, not for front-desk or chairside use. If you searched for “EHRbase” expecting a dental package, note that there is no “EHRbase + Dental Templates” product and no dental content built in; dental data models would have to be designed as openEHR archetypes and templates by you or your project.
EHRbase is actively developed. Version 2.36.0 was published on 15 September 2026. It is jointly developed by vitasystems GmbH (vitagroup) and the Peter L. Reichertz Institute for Medical Informatics of TU Braunschweig and Hannover Medical School, and is licensed under Apache 2.0, with professional support available from vitagroup.
EHRbase at a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Latest version | 2.36.0, published 15 September 2026 |
| Licence | Free and open source, Apache License 2.0 |
| Platforms | Server software: Java (JDK 25) with PostgreSQL 15 or newer (16 recommended); Docker images; runs on any OS that supports Java or Docker. No desktop or mobile app |
| Developer | vitasystems GmbH (vitagroup) and Peter L. Reichertz Institute for Medical Informatics |
| Official website | ehrbase.org |
| Best for | Developers building standards-based clinical apps or research data platforms on openEHR |
What it does
- Stores electronic health records according to the openEHR Reference Model (RM 1.1.0).
- Accepts clinical templates as operational templates (OPT) based on ADL 1.4 archetypes.
- Implements the openEHR REST API for creating EHRs, compositions, folders and queries.
- Runs model-based queries across records with the Archetype Query Language (AQL).
- Keeps a full version history of compositions, as the openEHR model requires.
- Supports Basic authentication or OAuth2 with user and admin roles.
- Ships as a Docker image with a preconfigured PostgreSQL image for quick setup.
- Offers a public sandbox (sandkiste.ehrbase.org) for trying the API without installing anything.
How dental teams use it
EHRbase has no user interface and no dental templates. It is relevant to dental organisations only as a data platform.
Model a dental data set for research or a registry
- Search the openEHR Clinical Knowledge Manager for existing archetypes you can reuse (for example examination findings or procedures).
- Combine them into a template with an openEHR template designer and export it as an OPT file.
- Upload the template to EHRbase through the REST API.
- Have your data-capture app post compositions based on that template, then query them with AQL.
Back-end for a dental school application
- Run EHRbase with Docker on a university server.
- Build or adapt a front-end that reads and writes openEHR compositions.
- Use AQL to extract anonymised data for teaching or audits.
Install and first run
- Quick look: use the EHRbase sandbox in a browser or API client.
- Docker (recommended): create a Docker network, start the preconfigured PostgreSQL image (ehrbase/ehrbase-v2-postgres), then run the EHRbase application image as described in the installation guide at docs.ehrbase.org.
- From source: JDK 25, Docker (required for the build), PostgreSQL 15+; run createdb.sql, then build with Maven and start the application jar.
- Security: Basic authentication is opt-in (SECURITY_AUTHTYPE=BASIC) and ships with documented default user names and passwords; change them, or use OAuth2, before any real use.
Gotchas: current builds need Java 25, so older JDKs fail; ADL 2 archetypes are not the supported format (EHRbase implements ADL 1.4); and you still need a separate front-end, because EHRbase is only the back end.
Limitations
- No graphical user interface for clinicians.
- No dental content: templates must be modelled and governed by you.
- Requires openEHR modelling skills that most dental practices do not have.
- Not a practice-management system: no scheduling, billing or claims.
- The official site makes no regulatory clearance claims; certification of a finished product is the integrator’s responsibility.
EHRbase vs alternatives
EHRbase is a data platform, while GNUmed and OSCAR EMR are complete record systems with user interfaces. NOSH ChartingSystem takes a FHIR-native approach but is dormant. For imaging archives, which EHRbase does not cover, a DICOM toolkit such as dcm4che is the relevant open-source building block.
FAQ
Where is EHRbase on GitHub?
The source code, releases and changelog are in the ehrbase/ehrbase repository on GitHub. Documentation is at docs.ehrbase.org.
What API does EHRbase provide?
It implements the standard openEHR REST API, including endpoints for EHRs, compositions, templates and AQL queries.
Does EHRbase support FHIR?
EHRbase itself speaks openEHR. The EHRbase organisation also publishes a separate FHIR Bridge project that acts as a broker between an HL7 FHIR client and an openEHR server.
Is EHRbase an openEHR server?
Yes. It is an openEHR clinical data repository and one of the open-source openEHR server implementations.
Is EHRbase free?
Yes, it is free and open source under Apache 2.0. Paid professional support and enterprise services are offered separately by vitagroup.
Are there EHRbase dental templates?
No official dental template bundle exists. You would create or reuse openEHR archetypes and templates yourself.
Last checked against official sources: 29 September 2026 (developer website: ehrbase.org). Versions and licence terms change — confirm on the developer's site before deploying in a clinic.
