Matthew Hodgson for Matrix Blog:

With the TI-Messenger, gematik is creating a nationwide decentralised private communication network – based on Matrix – to support potentially more than 150,000 healthcare organisations within Germany’s national healthcare system. It will provide end-to-end encrypted VoIP/Video and messaging for the whole healthcare system, as well as the ability to share healthcare based data, images and files.

Initially every healthcare provider (HCP) with an HBA (HPC ID card) will be able to choose their own TI-Messenger provider. The homesever for HCP accounts will be hosted by the provider’s datacentre. The homeserver for institutions can be hosted by TI-Messenger providers, or on-premise.

Matrix is a decentralised solution for chat application- you can choose your hosting provider (or data centre) and align with the other nodes. Potentially, you can control your data – in contrast to centralised solutions like WhatsApp or Telegram.

Here’s an interesting nugget:

TI-Messenger is gematik’s technical specification for an interoperable secure instant messaging standard. The healthcare industry will be able to build a wide range of apps based on TI-Messenger specifications knowing that, being built on Matrix, all those apps will interoperate.

I think it is a game changer- there is no one protocol that will restrict users from interacting others- though, as I understand, it will be different workflow for each individual organisation. For example, you can have a matrix bridge to telegram and interact with other users on that platform. Professionals (and organisations) can choose their service providers – either cloud or on-premises. Besides, as Matrix is open source and has open data standards, it is “future-proofed” with complete freedom to port your data to other providers.

It merits a deeper consideration- I haven’t used Matrix and will test drive it to understand its mechanism.