Interoperability in a Nutshell

Interoperability is a healthcare buzzword on everyone’s lips. But, in actuality, interoperability is much more than a buzzword. It promotes the sharing of a patient’s healthcare records between providers and healthcare institutions.

This benefits the patient because the exchange of information creates a holistic view for each provider involved. They can understand how their piece of the puzzle fits into the whole picture, helping them understand how to treat the patient as a person, not a collection of parts.

The U.S. government has mandated interoperability by creating a set of standards called Meaningful Use (MU), which can be shared between providers in electronic health records (EHR). The goal of interoperability is to improve patient care by streamlining workflow, reducing risks in documentation errors, increasing the communication of treatment, and generating accurate medical histories. Interoperability puts the patient, the person, back in the spotlight.

What does this mean for healthcare organizations, providers and administrators?

What does this mean for you?

• Reduction in documentation errors can help providers avoid costly fines from regulatory violations.
• Streamlining workflow can free up providers’ time, allowing them to see more patients.
• Increasing communication among providers can help draw in new patients who are encouraged by the benefits of interoperability.
•  Accurate medical histories allow providers to give higher-quality care to their patients for their entire lives.

Interoperability also means there will be many changes, some easy, some hard, some simple and some complex. But, most importantly, there are many organizations and professionals out there who can help you make it through these changes. As an early sponsor of the HIMSS Health Story Project, InfraWare has taken a leadership role in interoperability. To learn how InfraWare helps enhance communication between providers, check out our infographic.