Healthcare interoperability aims to facilitate the sharing of patient and other data among different systems in a secure manner. This data is stored and made accessible to healthcare providers, patients, payers, and public health administrators who may need to access it.
According to HIMSS, healthcare interoperability involves different information systems, devices, and applications working together to access, exchange, and use data in a coordinated manner. This enables the seamless transfer of information across organizational, regional, and national boundaries to enhance the health outcomes of individuals and populations worldwide. Key elements of interoperability include open data schemas and standards that allow healthcare providers to share information regardless of the electronic health record (EHR) software they use. This information can also be made available to patients through various channels like mobile devices, websites, and kiosks.
Initially, interoperability projects focused on integrating systems within a single healthcare organization, ensuring that patient data was seamlessly transferred from primary care physicians to labs and imaging services for the purpose of electronic orders and billing. However, there is now a shift towards developing interoperable systems that encompass the entire healthcare ecosystem, involving providers, patients, payers, regulators, and researchers at both national and global levels.