The U.S. healthcare industry has achieved several milestones in driving industry-wide interoperability. But the journey was not all smooth sailing. Despite progress in making it easier to share medical records among clinicians in hospitals and health systems, there are still significant gaps that hinder how to measure and quantify the success of interoperability across the country.
webinar, sponsored by sure scripttrying to highlight the findings of a report commissioned by the Healthcare Leadership Council — Opportunities for the private sector to take steps to inform and advance interoperability policy. The dialogue fleshed out progress on interoperability, recommendations on how best to measure and quantify interoperability, and a near-term outlook for next steps. It also addresses the legacy of the HITECH Act provisions and the impact of the 21st Century Cures Act.
Team members include:
- Tom Skelton, Chief Executive Officer, sure script
- Epic founder and CEO Judy Faulkner
- Mary Greeleypresident, Healthcare Leadership Council
- A. Jay Holmgren, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, and author of a report commissioned by the Healthcare Leadership Council
Stephanie Baum, Director of Special Projects at MedCity News, is the moderator.
Faulkner suggests changing the way we measure and quantify interoperability, from the number of patient records shared to the number of patients successfully sharing information. This shift not only provides a more practical way to assess the breadth and effectiveness of interoperability, but also provides insight into communities and patient groups that need improved interoperability.
A talking point attempts to link the impact of the HITECH Act to the meaningful use requirements contained within it. Although it led to a rapid shift to digitization of paper patient records, the consensus among panelists was that it also slowed interoperability. Holmgren highlighted some of the strengths and weaknesses of the Act’s Meaningful Use Clause, noting that it has resulted in slower-than-expected growth in interoperability.
“I think if you looked at the 2008 plan, do you expect to publish in 2022 about 50% of the hospitals reporting that they regularly exchange data electronically? I’m pretty sure they would say no. I’m pretty sure they want to Before that, it was getting wider interoperability and data exchange. So in a sense, it was very successful. Just looking at the state of the U.S. healthcare system compared to other countries, we’ve digitized our system, It’s necessary, but not enough. Where we move slower is moving data to different silos.”
Grealy, Chair of the Healthcare Leadership Council, highlighted the importance of the work of the Office of the National Health IT Coordinator in advancing interoperability.
“I think the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) really does move us in the right direction. I think we find that there is some good regional exchange of health information, but we do need to strengthen and expand it. Some quality of care and Cornwall The initiative is indeed an important example of private sector collaboration. I know both Tom and Judy are very active in these organizations. I think it does underscore the importance of the private sector getting involved, taking responsibility, and trying to drive this change, but we really can’t do it without a partner like the Office of the National Coordinator. “
While highlighting some of the progress Surescripts has made with electronic prescribing, Skelton also addresses the inherent challenges of interoperability. Making sensitive patient data more accessible has also increased the need to develop methods to better protect data and easily correct it in the event of errors.
“The most accurate data in any environment is the data that is used frequently and is an important part of the workflow. Whenever this happens, the data is quickly corrected or noticed very quickly. If there is a lot of data going around move, then it’s swept into a closet somewhere online. It could actually end up with data quality not really getting the view it should, and we could end up with something like [it is] surge in the health system. So we have to be careful about that. They are legitimate risks. As an optimist, I believe the industry is very hardworking here and will continue to be, but I do think the risks are real and I think it’s something we need to acknowledge and accept. “
Faulkner highlighted some of Epic’s interoperability work, including Care Everywhere and, most recently, Share Everywhere for patients who can access its patient portal, MyChart. She also provided some points for discussion.
“I think we need to celebrate our successes because interoperability has really changed the country and the world and we’ve achieved a lot. Second, I think we really have to focus on those left behind who can’t afford it and don’t have the manpower to do it We have to figure out what we do with these institutions. My daughter was injured recently and had to go to two different hospitals. One didn’t have interoperability and it felt like the light switch was off. The other had, and then the light switch Turn on, it’s an amazing comparison. Third, this is just for those who use my chart: Know Share Everywhere – you may need to use it at some point.”
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photo: Leo Wolfert, Getty Images
