The Personal Connected Health Alliance (PCHAlliance) and Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) have announced a partnership to launch a number of joint initiatives in 2017, including improvements in interoperability, conformity testing and certification of products.

"PCHAlliance and IHE share the same vision. That is, we believe that health information exchange is possible throughout the worldwide healthcare ecosystem and, together, we can support new innovations and create solutions to improve health outcomes, enhance understanding and help make big data possible," said Michael Kirwan, vice president of PCHAlliance. "We are looking forward to expanding our collaboration and working closely to further extend interoperability in healthcare."

With a focus on health information technology, IHE's profiles and PCHAlliance's continua design guidelines set out to improve the flow of device data into electronic health records (EHRs) and ensure coding and format remain the same. Adding to the list, IHE and PCHAlliance plan on implementing a three-pronged approach to improving and simplifying interoperability by combining deployment of interoperative systems. The groups will also aim to improve conformity testing, certifications, communication and education among providers and vendors.

"IHE is very excited to partner with PCHAlliance in advancing the goal of standards-based interoperability," said Michael McCoy, co-chair of the IHE International Board. "PCHAlliance brings a well-established culture of standards and testing in the device space that blends perfectly with IHE's body of work, expanding the scope of connected HIT systems in this rapidly innovating area of healthcare."