Interoperability in Healthcare: An Essential Guide

Interoperability in Healthcare: An Essential Guide

Interoperability in healthcare refers to the integration of and accessibility to electronic health data in a timely and secure fashion, so that it can be used to optimize health outcomes for patients.

Understanding Data Interoperability in Healthcare

By definition, interoperability in healthcare is the exchange and use of data in an efficient manner across various healthcare systems, providers, and devices. It’s a way to integrate and share all of a person’s important health data so that care, at any point and at any location, is still maintained at the highest standard.

Sharing patient information like this is critical to success in healthcare. For it to be effective and accessible, the data must be kept up to date so all healthcare professionals have the detailed information necessary to make decisions.

The Role of Interoperability in Enhancing Healthcare Quality

Interoperability can play a significant role in patient outcomes. It allows for healthcare professionals to have a comprehensive, holistic view of the patient’s medical history, even if the patient has received care elsewhere. With this information, it’s possible for doctors to better understand the patient’s medical history and needs.

Whenever a patient receives care, whether it’s a check-up, specialist, or emergency level appointment, data sharing must be completed to minimize future risk. It also becomes crucial any time a patient is being transferred between facilities.

Interoperability:

• Improves patient care
• Improves patient safety
• Reduces time and costs related to unnecessary testing 
• Improves patient outcomes

An Overview of FHIR in Healthcare Technology

Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) is a standard. It is the process by which healthcare information can be exchanged between one digital access point to the next, no matter how that data is being stored or used. The emergence of this standard enhances healthcare information exchange tremendously. 

As a modern, web-based approach to data exchange, FHIR is easily accessible and highly advantageous to both developers and healthcare applications alike. What it does well is operate with a resource-based approach, which makes it highly valuable across industries. It also has made a significant difference in the role of APIs in helping to create interoperable applications.

The FHIR standard aims to resolve administrative, infrastructure-related, and clinical obstacles in healthcare.

The Importance of Standards in Achieving Healthcare Interoperability

In order for the thousands of different digital tools and resources being used by doctors, hospitals, and others to work together, it is critical to have a set of rules or guidelines to follow. 

Two examples of this are Health Level 7 (HL7) and Clinical Document Architecture (CDA). These standards are critical because they create a single, unified language that allows for the exchange of information. Much like spoken language, two applications must speak the same “language” in order to send information back and forth.

When there is no standardized format in place, or there are no protocols overseeing that data's access or use, challenges arise. That includes a lack of information sharing, poor results, and even wrong information. 

Exploring the Healthcare Interoperability Ecosystem

A large number of people, technologies, and other components must work together to create a cohesive, effective healthcare interoperability ecosystem. As the digital world infiltrates healthcare, this will only increase. Examples of tech and other components include:

• EHRs
• Medical devices themselves
• HIEs

Essentially, any medical platform that creates pathways for data sharing can be a part of the interoperability ecosystem. Individual platforms and solutions can be limited in their reach and benefits, but when technology works together to exchange data, the potential benefits increase exponentially. The key here is that those systems and technologies follow all standards and protocols to work together collaboratively. 

Workflow Considerations in Healthcare Interoperability

When considering healthcare interoperability, it’s essential to consider how healthcare providers work and communicate. 

To achieve the best possible outcome, it’s critical to integrate data exchange methods and abilities into what the healthcare providers are doing now, meeting them where they are, but also improving system usability. In many cases, this also means encouraging patients to play a larger role in their care and in allowing for accessibility across all informational tools.

Public Policy and Its Impact on Healthcare Interoperability

Public policy must align with and support interoperability in healthcare. Government regulations, incentives, and initiatives all play a role in how interoperable systems in healthcare are adopted. 

Benefits of Data Interoperability in Healthcare

Why bother? What is the actual benefit of data interoperability in healthcare? There are tangible outcomes that come from creating this smooth, streamlined, and seamless process:

• Enhanced care coordination across all healthcare providers
• Informed decision making including in emergent situations
• Increased efficiency of care and use of medical facilities
• A significant reduction in cost
• Improved patient safety and support
• Patients are empowered to better manage their health

When all of these factors align, patients get the care they need when they need it, improving their lives as a result.

Addressing Challenges in Achieving Data Interoperability

With so many benefits, it’s hard to see why this is lagging in some areas. There are challenges to data interoperability:

• Lack of standardization, which limits the way for language to be effective
• Concerns over security continue
• Technical complexities also create some limitations
• The cost of adopting new strategies can seem limited 
• Resistance to change is common

Collaborative effects that stress the importance and value of a move towards interoperability can help to reduce the impact of these challenges. 

Levels of Healthcare Interoperability

Interoperability can play a role at various levels, including:

• Foundational
• Structural
• Semantic
• Organizational
• System interoperability

Interoperability means different things at different levels, the data itself can vary, as well as how it is being communicated and who is involved.

Strategies for Promoting Data Interoperability in Healthcare

How can we master this process? One of the core methods is to adopt a standardization of data formats and coding systems. This includes LOINC and SNOMED CT, for example. This helps to ensure a smooth transition of clinical information. Also important is the creation and management of common standards to create consistency. 

Health Information Exchange Networks: Enhancing Care Delivery

One of the solutions to minimize the complexity of this process is to implement health information exchange (HIE) networks. These allow healthcare providers to communicate with ease and have direct benefits, including:

• Improved patient care 
• Reduction of duplicated tests
• Sharing of patient medical history

Leveraging APIs for Healthcare Data Interoperability

Application programming interfaces (APIs) are also a solid supportive step towards interoperability. They facilitate the way two separate tools work together, integrating the different systems in a seamless manner. This ultimately reduces workflow and helps improve care.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Interoperable Health Information Systems

The advantages of data interoperability in healthcare systems include:

• Improved access to comprehensive patient data 
• Heightened care coordination
• Research data that can enhance long-term outcomes

The disadvantages of interoperability include:

• Data security
• Cost of implementation
• Complexity of process

The Consequences of Inadequate Interoperability in Healthcare

When systems cannot communicate, data is lost to healthcare providers that can change the care methods and outcomes for patients. This leads to higher costs and frustrated patients, doctors, and others who are doing twice the work they need to do. 

Rather, the adoption of interoperability improves management and patient care. There are direct links between lower patient safety and a lack of information, making this a critical step to take.

Achieving Clinical Interoperability in Hospital Settings

To achieve clinical interoperability in a hospital setting, a comprehensive overview of opportunities, challenges, and resources must be considered. With an integrated HER system, this becomes more accessible. Adopting standardized clinical workflows also enhances this process.

We suggest discussing strategies for attaining clinical interoperability within hospitals. Emphasize the need for integrated EHR systems that ensure comprehensive access to patient information across different departments and the importance of adopting standardized clinical workflows and protocols for consistent health information exchange.

FAQs

What are the 4 types of interoperability? Foundational, structural, semantic, and organizational.

What is an interoperability example? Data passing through electronic health record systems is an example of when data is shared between multiple medical providers.

Why is interoperability so difficult? Standardizing processes to ensure that all systems are integrated and data can flow freely between technology and disparate providers and practices is time consuming and challenging.

Interoperability in healthcare is critical to the future of patient care. Consider the role your organization has in improving health outcomes, reducing costs, and enhancing data sharing.