What You Need to Know About Interoperability and How it Affects You

For over two decades, tech companies and government agencies have been moving toward the goal of interoperability in healthcare technology. At long last, standards and protocols are in place -- and continually being improved -- to support open data exchange networks. As a result, healthcare providers, including human services, post-acute providers and specialty practices, have more opportunities to participate in alternative payment models and adapt more readily to the evolving payment landscape.

This four-part series covers the forces that are driving interoperability, as well as the future vision of open networks, and what it all could mean to your organization.

Part 1: Interoperability in Healthcare: What's driving the need for change?

Government regulatory agencies, together with payers and healthcare organizations, have long recognized the need to improve care coordination among healthcare providers. Making it easier to share information via a nationwide data sharing network is a critical component of this effort.

The ultimate goal of providing access to complete, accurate patient information is to help drive down costs to providers and electronic health record (EHR) users. Through exhaustive work and years of innovation, we're seeing the tangible outcome of this effort. Information can now flow seamlessly across multiple healthcare networks. Using a concise view of the data, we can focus on broader population health initiatives that center on improving outcomes for chronic conditions, reducing emergency department (ED) visits and preventing hospitalizations. With the Interoperability market moving ahead at blazing speeds, it's important to understand the players who are driving these.

Who are the players in healthcare interoperability and how do they work together?

Healthcare technology is complex. So, it's not surprising that getting the disparate systems on the same page to share information seamlessly and securely is a complicated process. In the last decade, there has been an increase in the number of vendors, organizations, and healthcare players working together to advance a useful Interoperability market.

Some of the larger players in this space include government and regulatory agencies. To understand the role these entities play and how they coordinate with other organizations and efforts, let’s compare the process to building a national highway system.

Building an open data exchange network for healthcare interoperability

• Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and Office of the National Coordinator for Health (ASTP/ONC): This federal agency sets the vision, rules and regulations for health information technology policy. Compare it to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the federal agency that provides stewardship over the construction, maintenance, and preservation for all interstate highways.
• Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA): Established by the ASTP/ONC, TEFCA sets the rules for health data exchange over the network. This is similar to plans or blueprints for highway construction. This would also include engineering, construction and safety standards for the highway.
• The Sequoia Project (RCE): The Sequoia Project is the Recognized Co-ordinating Entity (RCE) for TEFCA and is appointed by the ASTP/ONC. The Sequoia Project is a non-profit, public-private collaborative that the implementation project for nationwide data exchange. They approve and help regulate the TEFCA exchange, via QHINs. The Sequoia Project can be compared to a construction manager that approves contractors and oversees quality control measures to ensure standards are met.
• Qualified Health Information Networks (QHIN)s: QHINs are data sharing networks built to operate the exchange network as outlined by TEFCA. In our analogy, QHINs are the highways, and the companies that build QHINs can be compared to the construction companies that physically build and maintain the roadways themselves.

Now that you’re familiar with the entities involved in developing the standards for interoperability and building the data exchange networks that make it a reality, let’s take a look at how these enhanced capabilities can impact your organization.

Next: How TEFCA affects your technology and what the heck is a QHIN?

Ben Rosen is the Director of Interoperability at Netsmart. With more than a decade of healthcare experience, Ben has led numerous initiatives to integrate healthcare systems and enhance data sharing across the care continuum. His dedication to advancing healthcare interoperability drives his active involvement in industry initiatives and standards organizations, where he provides insight for frameworks such as HL7 FHIR, USCDI and others. Ben holds a Bachelor of Science in kinesiology from Kansas State University and a Bachelor of Science in nursing degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center.