What do you do if technology systems in a healthcare setting lack interoperability?

Interoperabilidade no setor de saúde é essencial para garantir a troca eficaz de informações entre sistemas e organizações. Nesse sentido são fundamentais a implementação de padrões de dados comuns, o uso de tecnologias de integração, como interfaces de programação de aplicações e a promoção de uma cultura de compartilhamento de dados.

If healthcare systems lack interoperability, work on integrating solutions that enable data sharing, collaborate with IT for fixes, and train staff on temporary workarounds. This ensures smooth operations and patient safety.

Interoperability issues can be a major hurdle, but a proactive approach is key. Start by thoroughly assessing your tech systems to pinpoint where communication breaks down. Identify the root causes, whether they're related to software, data formats, or standards. Involving IT experts is crucial, they bring the technical insights needed to address compatibility issues and recommend necessary upgrades. Remember, understanding the problem is the first step toward a seamless solution. Let's bridge those gaps for smoother, more efficient operations.

I'd propose there is a step before assessing the systems, which is to understand your most critical business cases (user stories, workflows, etc...pick your favorite term) and use those as your guides for which system interoperation points you look at. Some points may generate a lot of noise but not be that critical to efficiency or patient safety. Others may have a low number of issues but WHEN they occur those issues could be critical and/or dangerous. We never have enough time to do everything we want, so doing some initial work to help focus and prioritize will pay dividends in the long haul.

Assessing technology systems is the most critical aspect of healthcare leaders today and often clinically trained leaders lack skills / interests to do so. This is when relying on technology partners becomes critical. In addition, consider having a digital liaison on your team, an individual who understands the technology and operations and can effectively translate the gaps and needs across the health care and digital teams. and can explain the complexities to you in a way that you understand. Task this entity to create an assessment plan and regularly check in with you. After an initial plan, create long term "system health check" plan. Finally, ask your team for feedback. Frontline staff do have deeper insights on problems and solutions.

Setting standards for interoperability goes beyond adopting frameworks like HL7 or FHIR. It involves actively shaping their evolution. HL7 provides a strong base for healthcare data exchange, but to fully leverage it, tailor these standards to your organization’s needs. Work with IT to customize HL7 interfaces and incorporate FHIR for greater flexibility with modern data formats. Treat these standards as adaptable tools, ensuring seamless integration and future readiness. Foster continuous learning and encourage your team to stay updated with HL7 and FHIR, positioning your organization as a leader in healthcare technology.

Setting and adhering to standards, even if those are community standards not mandated by law, is important. Health data is messy and siloed and without standards, its easy to get lost in translation. In the US, HL7 and FHIR are seeing broader adoption and that is certainly helpful. Having "Data Standard Evangelists" goes a long way in helping set and adopt standards. As a leader, consider being an evangelist yourself or champion other evangelists!

Strong vendor relationship & finding a trustworthy vendor who is always willing to help in any emergency is definitely of help. Also there should be a support system in the absence of vendors which can make the operating system better.

The digital health space is vibrant, exciting and ever evolving. If you are not exploring and interacting with vendors you are missing out. It is impossible to solve for interoperability solutions on your own: lights on healthcare support is a 24/7/365 challenge that keeps you engaged and it is likely that your organizational tech systems are busy supporting those systems as well. This is where a vendor with unique offerings can help you solve pieces of the puzzle effectively. If you have assessed your systems and identified your needs, then identifying vendors with point solutions will be an easy task.

I've been on the vendor side before. I appreciate healthcare leaders who engage in a collaborative manner. The best customers are those who are innovative and understand the "growing pains" attached to new technologies. Yes, the "stakes" are higher in healthcare because people's lives are on the line so groups are less likely to want to innovate. Well, the potential benefits are also higher because you can save lives that otherwise would have perished.

Training healthcare staff on technology is THE MOST critical function that healthcare leaders have to manage. The tools will only be as effective as the master that wields them! For many healthcare frontline staff, the technology available is not always as easy or intuitive as their "Amazon experience". Leaders play a crucial role here, in evangelizing the technology that they do have while acknowledging the drawbacks of an imperfect system. Set time for and incentivize training. Lastly, do not assume that "one training session" will be sufficient. Insist and allow for multiple facilitated and self paced training for your teams. Having dedicated technology support teams will also help these efforts.

Train your staff in such a way that in any emergency they can handle the situation & if it's not working there should always be some alternative options available so that it should not come in between patient care.

The best strategic plan is to bake in flexibility in your tech platform. Don't go "all in" on one vendor or one platform wherever possible.