Since ancient times, humans have used silos for the storage of crops. Efficient and sometimes elegant, such silos have helped sustain and advance human civilization. In the last century or so, however, humans have begun putting data into silos, with decidedly mixed results.
During this year’s virtual eClinicalWorks® and healow® National Conference, CEO Girish Navani cited technology pioneer John Gage’s phrase, “The network is the computer.”
Why? Simply because the phrase Gage coined in 1984 is truer today than it was back then.
Without effective interoperability, practices can be stuck in the past. Today, health information needs to move quickly among physicians' offices and hospitals. The goal of interoperability is to allow this health information to flow securely among practices and facilities nationwide.
Maybe you’ve heard of Marvel’s Avengers film series? Even if you haven’t watched them, we promise, no spoilers! To power the Infinity Gauntlet and change the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the supervillain Thanos needed to place the Infinity Stones into their proper places. Interoperability is as multifaceted as the Infinity Gauntlet – requiring multiple attributes that, when put together, have the power to change healthcare.
People everywhere will turn to online marketplaces like Amazon® or eBay® to purchase gifts for friends and family. Now, imagine the frustration that would ensue if these companies made a decision to only allow access through a single browser and on a specific type of mobile device.
Users want the freedom to be able to access a website from any browser, on any device, and any operating system. This same need for independence and ease of use carries over when providers need to access healthcare data between EHRs. FHIR is the means of achieving this.
There are few things as satisfying as placing the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle in the correct spot.
January 29, 2021, is National Puzzle Day and even though finishing a jigsaw puzzle may be satisfying, solving unique problems specific to healthcare is another area worth celebrating.
You’re walking on a dirt path – medium-length prairie grass rustles next to you as you look over at the angular red rock formations. You hear a faint sound – like someone rolling a set of dice in a plastic cup – and keep moving forward. The sound stops. You scan the area, squinting and listening for something, anything, to attach to the sound.
Ensuring the wellbeing of children requires access to quality care, fast and accurate diagnoses, and the right medications. It also requires a seemingly magical fourth ingredient that parents may never think about — effective interoperability.
The right hands include authorized providers, for whom access to the most up-to-date patient data is essential for informed decision-making and better and safer medicine. Ensuring patients also enjoy on-demand access to their own medical records is critical for making them full partners in their healthcare.
The idea of interoperability in healthcare IT isn’t new, but there’s still confusion and misunderstanding regarding what interoperability really is.
At a basic level, interoperability means sharing data between disparate programs. But asking another practice or hospital for patient records isn’t true interoperability. Nor is logging into their system to retrieve those records.
True interoperability is when patient information can be sent electronically to the EHR.
