Health IT

HIMSS releases interoperability call to action

Stating that now is the time for "bold action," the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society has issued a six-pronged call focused on interoperability.

interoperability, integration, woven, braid

The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society has issued a call to action on interoperability.

Stating that now is the time for “bold action,” HIMSS hopes it will encourage changes to health policy.

The call itself is comprised of six aspects:

  • Integrate interoperability approaches and exchange frameworks. HIMSS wants HHS to demand integration with the ultimate goal of data access that improves care cost and quality. Though numerous providers utilize a multi-faceted interoperability approach, collaboration is possible, as evidenced by examples like Carequality.
  • Educate the community on the appropriate use of standards, data formats and use cases. HHS and ONC should lead such efforts, which are of increasing importance as the healthcare industry is growing to include non-traditional data sources like social services agencies. Additionally, HHS should confirm such standards are implemented and used properly.
  • Ensure participation from stakeholders, including patients and caregivers. HIMSS does not gloss over the crucial discussion around giving patients access to their own health information. The call to action also points out that industry needs to address the interoperability gaps specific areas, such as behavioral health, long-term post-acute care and long-term service and support.
  • Pinpoint the “minimum necessary” business rules for trusted exchange. There’s no panacea for healthcare’s interoperability problems. But HIMSS endorses the formation of this “minimum necessary” set of protocols that identify a framework for exchange. Such a set of rules would ease the onboarding process for participants.
  • Standardize and adopt management approaches. Identifying and matching patient records remains a challenge in the healthcare environment. That’s why HIMSS is in favor of a common framework specifically centered around patient identity matching. It wants organizations to test and adopt potential standards and algorithms geared toward solving this issue.
  • Improve data usability for care and research. Health IT stakeholders and HHS should work to make usability a priority. Zeroing in on this area would decrease the burden on end users, enable better clinical decision-making and guarantee data are consumed discretely. HIMSS encourages a focus on implementation and use of terminology standards.

“We welcome all who share our commitment to join us in achieving better health through the best use of information and technology,” the call to action notes.

Photo: Eskemar, Getty Images

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