An interoperability roadmap

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) continues its focus on interoperability, recently announcing its effort to draft a “living document” to accompany its 10-year interoperability vision.

Interoperability “is not going to happen overnight,” said Erica Galvez, ONC’s interoperability portfolio manager, at the Aug. 6 Health IT Policy Committee meeting. “A roadmap provides a path forward that everyone can rally behind and perhaps more importantly, collectively update over time.”

A new, online interactive community is cornerstone to this endeavor, providing a “deep dive” into how all stakeholders can achieve three-, six- and 10-year interoperability milestones, she said. Under these timelines:

• By 2017, providers and individuals can send, receive, find and use a basic set of essential health information;
• By 2020, an expansion of sources and users of information while continuing to improve quality and lower costs. Also an increase in automation and ability to scale broadly;
• By 2024, stakeholders will practice precision medicine; reduce time from evidence to practice; and create a virtuous learning cycle or learning health system.

The roadmap will revolve around nine operating principles: building upon existing health IT infrastructure; one size does not fit all; leverage the market; consider the current environment and support multiple levels of advancement; simplify; focus on value; empower individuals; maintain modularity; and protect privacy and security in all aspects of interoperability.

Interested parties must weigh in by Sept. 12. What do you think of this living document?

Beth Walsh

Clinical Innovation + Technology editor