Our recent Linkedin poll asked our community what area you think regulators and vendors should focus on to achieve universal interoperability faster. Most agreed that incentivising and enforcing universal health IT standards is the best way to reliably and securely provide a common language and information exchange framework, with the aim of building longitudinal patient records across care settings. Here, we take stock of the journey so far.
Firstly, this is not a new problem. Technology and information exchange standards often proliferate thanks to the endeavours of smart individuals working independently to solve a collective problem. While the consequences in any industry can occasionally be very dramatic, What’s unique about healthcare specifically is the growing scale and variety of standards adding to the problem.
With that in mind, cultivating a culture of data sharing and collaboration is key. Successful healthcare organizations are those that prioritize open APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) and data-sharing agreements. By breaking down data silos and promoting information sharing, more healthcare providers are ensuring better outcomes by creating connected, efficient, and patient-centred healthcare ecosystems.
