Clearing Interoperability Roadblocks To Deliver Better Care

Compiled by Scott Westcott, Contributing Writer

Getting different IT and software applications to communicate and share data effectively remains a challenge as healthcare providers seek to achieve interoperability, but progress is being made.

There is likely no aspect of health IT that presents more of a challenge than interoperability. In simple terms, interoperability is defined as the ability of different information technology systems and software applications to communicate, exchange data, and interpret data and information that has been shared.

Achieving interoperability is often viewed as the Holy Grail when it comes to health IT, in that it represents leveraging and sharing data in ways that lead to better patient care and outcomes while creating significant cost and time efficiencies for providers.