All together now
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| Mary Stevens, editor, CMIO |
This is where “we can do that” meets “show me.” Interoperability all stars from last month’s IHE Connectathon event will be on hand, demonstrating what systems are interoperating and how. Competition might be a driver of innovation, but proprietary systems that can recognize and communicate with one another are also good for business and ultimately, patient care.
The expanded federal presence at the showcase will demonstrate the progress of the Direct and Connect projects in conjunction with the IHE’s work as well. “If you look at the core Connect specifications, many of the enabling specs are built on top of an IHE specification stack, so there’s strong continuity in terms of technology workflows across the whole area,” says Arien Malec, coordinator of the Direct Project at Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC).
The Direct Project, announced in Atlanta at HIMSS 2010, is closing in on one year old, and will be featured in eight pilot demonstrations. In one year, “Direct has gone from zero to 60 faster than we had all dreamed would happen,” says Doug Fridsma, MD, PhD, director of the Office of Interoperability and Standards at ONC. “The Interoperability Showcase will include presentations from a host of vendors that have taken the Direct specs and have run with them.”
Finally, as the noise around HIMSS11 reached its annual crescendo, you may have missed the recent kickoff of CMIO.net’s “HIE Chronicles.” In this five-part series, reporter Jeff Byers profiles the Rhode Island statewide HIE from its inception and near-demise in a March 2010 flood, to its deployment and go-live, slated for March. Read Part 2 for a look under the hood and how things interoperate.
Hope to see you at HIMSS, and if you can’t be in Orlando, Fla., follow the latest conference news at cmio.net. If you have interoperability news from your facility, let me know at mstevens@cmio.net.
Mary Stevens
Editor of CMIO