In our previous article, we discussed the importance of healthcare interoperability and some of the challenges that impede its progress. In this second part, we will delve deeper into the factors that hinder the advancement of healthcare interoperability.
By understanding these barriers, we can work towards overcoming them and achieving a more interconnected healthcare system.
Fragmented Health IT Landscape
The healthcare industry operates within a fragmented landscape, with various electronic health record (EHR) systems, medical devices, and health information exchange (HIE) platforms in use. These systems often lack standardized data formats and interoperability capabilities, making it challenging to exchange information seamlessly.
The lack of a unified approach leads to data silos, where patient information becomes trapped within specific systems and organizations.
Proprietary Systems and Vendor Lock-In
Proprietary EHR systems and vendor lock-in practices can hinder interoperability. When healthcare organizations heavily invest in a particular vendor’s system, it may restrict their ability to share data with other systems or switch vendors.
This limited interoperability can impede the seamless exchange of patient information and hinder collaboration between healthcare providers.
Information Blocking Practices
Information blocking refers to practices that intentionally impede the access, exchange, or use of electronic health information. Although regulations such as the 21st Century Cures Act in the United States discourage information blocking, instances of such practices have been reported. Some vendors or healthcare organizations may restrict data sharing for competitive or financial reasons, hindering the free flow of information necessary for interoperability.
Adnan Ahmed is co-founder and president of CNSI. He is responsible for the overall health of the company and leads CNSI’s management with an emphasis on identifying new strategic markets and leveraging relationships with customers and partners. Under Ahmed’s direction, CNSI has experienced extensive growth in the healthcare and federal markets. Ahmed is credited for CNSI’s expansion into several new verticals, including the State Medicaid and CMS Medicare markets.
Ahmed brings vast experience in federal government and strategic growth areas. Prior to founding CNSI, Ahmed started the federal product sales division for INET Inc., a government systems integrator, growing it to $30 million in three years.
Adnan Ahmed is a board member of the Tech Council of Maryland (TCM), The Organization of Pakistani American Entrepreneurs of North America and is an active supporter of The Citizens Foundation, USA (TCF-USA).
Tell me about CNSI and its relation to healthcare. What’s your footprint and what are some of the organizations you’ve worked with?
Happy to do so and thank you for the opportunity to engage in this dialogue.
CNSI delivers business transformation and business technology solutions to a diverse base of federal and state government agencies. Some of the agencies we are working with include health and human services departments for Michigan, Maryland, Utah and Washington. Within that space and working with those agencies, healthcare takes up the majority of work we are involved in today.
For every project we undertake, our mission is to deliver high-quality, innovative solutions that improve performance. In the healthcare industry, our goals around performance are twofold: we aim to introduce solutions that dramatically cut down on costs and also make for a stronger, more connected experience between the people administering and receiving healthcare services.
From your dealing in the space, what are some of the most pressing issues you’re seeing? What needs to be addressed that’s not receiving the attention it deserves? Anything overblown?
With healthcare poised to make up a fifth of our total economy by the year 2020, the industry and each individual it serves has a lot to gain from the implementation of cutting-edge, cost-saving technological solutions.
One area we’ve seen as having so far prohibited the full potential health IT has to offer has been around interoperability. A lack of industry standardization makes it difficult to share and utilize information across platforms and deters a complete capture of standardized healthcare data.
The more interoperability, the more opportunity for healthcare systems, primary care providers, specialists and patients to benefit from avoiding from duplicitous tasks and capitalizing on available information.
