The digital shift in collecting and managing patient health
information has revolutionized healthcare delivery and practices. The EHR
systems have encouraged new ways to be instilled in patient data management,
and this further optimizes the workflows of the practices.
However, an EHR system can only work at its full potential
when it is able to seamlessly connect with other EHR systems. This smooth flow
of information exchange between various systems can foster quality care and
coordination between healthcare providers.
Achieving interoperability of EHR and
EMR
systems has become a necessity for a smooth workflow, coordination, and care
delivery in modern-day healthcare practices. However, achieving healthcare
interoperability is easier said than done. The entire process is filled with
challenges, and to make the EHR system relevant for a long time, overcoming
these challenges is extremely important.
In this blog, we will oversee the challenges, solutions, and
best practices in EHR and EMR system interoperability.
Why is EHR Interoperability Important?
Modern-day healthcare practices have become extremely
data-driven. From using data to identify diseases to using it as evidence to
make clinical decisions, EHR has today become the connecting link of the
healthcare system.
Making this system interoperable helps in better
coordination and in bringing everyone involved in the care team on the same
page. This directly contributes to improving the care quality and efficiency of
healthcare practices.
Some of the primary benefits of EHR interoperability are:
1. Patient-Centric Care: The EHR system keeps the patient
information in one place, and by making it interoperable, different healthcare
providers can have easy access to it. This fosters better coordination between
healthcare providers in a defined workflow, bringing everyone on the same page
and working towards the same goal, which is to improve patient outcomes.
2. Reduces Cost: When providers have access to the complete
health history of the patient, the chances of medical errors become very low,
and the duplication of tests and care plans can be eliminated. This reduces the
overall health cost for patients and helps to prevent unnecessary tests,
procedures, medication errors, etc.
3. Improved Coordination and Communication: When the
exchange between different healthcare systems is smooth, quick, and accurate,
providers can communicate at a faster rate and coordinate better to get the
desired outcomes.
EHR Interoperability Challenges
Making an EHR system interoperability is important but also
a difficult task at the same time. Some of the major challenges in achieving
EHR Interoperability are:
1. Data Consistency and Standardized Structures: The data in
the healthcare system is inconsistent and unorganized due to the lack of
standardization and uniformity in formats. This is one of the biggest
challenges in achieving EHR interoperability.
For example, a single patient record contains comprehensive
information, including medical history, treatment plans, etc. Since this
non-uniformity in data format is different in every EHR system, the system
finds the data difficult to interpret and exchange in the right manner.
Establishing and using standardized data formats such as HL7
and FHIR can be an effective solution to achieve EHR interoperability.
2. Patient Data Privacy and Security: EHR deals with
sensitive Patient Health Information (PHI), which makes it prone to
cyber-attacks. The network of various systems provides enough entry points for
cyber attacks.
Apart from that, EHR systems involve the exchange of this
sensitive information across different platforms and systems. This increases
the risk of data breaches. Any unauthorized access to patient data can lead to
severe consequences like identity theft, fraud, etc.
Here healthcare organizations need to safeguard patient data
and maintain its privacy to ensure the security of personal health information.
An effective way to ensure that is by developing robust APIs and compliance
with regulations like HIPAA and GDPR.
3. Communication Standards Across EHRs: As of now, there are
no set interoperability format standards in healthcare. This has made
healthcare organizations develop their own standards to follow.
Though these standards have effectively increased the
internal workflow, the lack of standardized format, common vocabulary, and
inconsistent data models have made it difficult for EHR systems to communicate
and exchange data between themselves.
This improper communication can lead to duplication of tests
and procedures, increase the chances of medication errors, and account for
delays in diagnosis processes.
A proactive initiative must be taken by healthcare
organizations, like developing standardized formats, using health information
exchanges, etc., which can help set the standard and enhance the sharing of
data.
4. Cost and Technical Challenges: Making an EHR system
interoperable is a costly affair. The healthcare organization has to invest
significantly in its infrastructure and resources.
Adapting to legacy systems, bringing in relevant IT
resources, and overcoming technical complexities pose a significant hurdles in
achieving it. Along with that, the software customization and integration
efforts further influence the cost of EHR software development.
Solutions to Improve EHR Interoperability
Achieving EHR interoperability is indeed a difficult task,
but it’s now impossible. Knowing the challenges can help you navigate through
the challenges effectively.
Here are some of the best practices and solutions that can
improve the interoperability of your EHR system:
1. Cloud-based EHRs: Data servers are often located at
different locations, further complicating data storage and retrieval. With
cloud-based EHRs, the integration process becomes easy with increased
accessibility of the data.
Cloud-based EHRs improve the accessibility of data for
clinical, lab, and pharmacy systems. By implementing this one process, not only
does access and integration become easy, but it also provides robust security
features, keeping the data safe and eliminating the risk of unauthorized
access.
2. Use Open Application Programming Interfaces (API):
Developing APIs is one of the best practices used in achieving EHR
interoperability. It allows different independent applications and systems to
communicate in a better way.
APIs also encourage the smooth flow of data and protect
sensitive patient health information better.
3. Blockchain for Network Provider Identification (NPID):
The rise of the use of blockchain technology has been a rising trend in the
healthcare industry. Since it is decentralized and records the transitions in a
permanent and verified way, it adds another layer of security to data
modification, access, and theft.
Furthermore, the risk of data loss is minimized with unique
security features like audit trails, which enable patients and providers to
access medical records through a more secure and private network.
Conclusion
EHR interoperability is driven by challenges that can create
delays in diagnosis and treatment. However, achieving interoperability can be
simplified with best practices and innovative solutions. Here, the adoption of
interoperability standards can improve the efficiency of healthcare providers and
encourage data-driven practices, benefiting both patients and healthcare
providers in many different ways.