New report calls for interoperability infrastructure
A new report builds upon the 2013 JASON report from last April on how to build a robust data infrastructure, and lays out recommendations for an infrastructure that could achieve interoperability among EHRs and integrate data from all sources.
According to a post on the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, Health IT Buzz, it's important to "pursue this ambitious goal" because "there has been an explosion of data that could help with all kinds of decisions about health. Right now, though, we do not have the capability to capture and share that data with those who make decisions that impact health—including individuals, healthcare providers and communities." The post was authored by National Coordinator Karen DeSalvo, MD, MPH, MSc; Jon White, MD, director of health IT at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; and Michael Painter, senior program officer, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
This report comes at a "pivotal time," according to the authors, as ONC is in the process of developing a federal health IT strategic plan and a shared, nationwide inteoperability roadmap.
"Data sharing is a critical piece of this equation. While we need infrastructure to capture and organize this data, we also need to ensure that individuals, healthcare professionals and community leaders can access and exchange this data, and use it to make decisions that improve health.
"Broadening data beyond the four walls of the doctors’ office will give healthcare professionals a more holistic view of their patient’s health. Sharing that data among members of the healthcare team will also lead to greater care coordination. Ensuring this data is used in meaningful ways will of course require training our healthcare workforce to a higher level of quantitative literacy."
The authors cite both current data uses and "many more we cannot yet anticipate," and say they are "excited by the potential to take this emerging data and turn it into useable information to build a Culture of Health—a nation where everyone has the opportunity to live longer, healthier lives."
Read the report.
Editor
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.