HIMSS offers Congress 4 recommendations for interoperability
The Health Information Management and Systems Society (HIMSS) has submitted four recommendations to Congress to help healthcare achieve interoperability.
"As a nation, we must maintain the momentum that has been achieved," HIMSS writes in its letter. "Health IT is fundamental to transforming healthcare. However, in order for technology to reach its full potential to smooth transitions between healthcare settings, help control cost and improve quality of care, technology has to interoperable.
"The nation's healthcare infrastructure cannot yet adequately communicate between vendors, care settings, between providers, and between providers and patients."
The following are HIMSS' four recommendations to Congress:
- Facilitate core interoperability through the development and implementation of nationwide agreed upon data and transmissions standards.
- Harmonize quality reporting standards.
- Enhance privacy and security.
- Improve patient safety.
The document includes several actions steps within each recommendation. Read the complete document.
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.