Breaking Down Data Silos
The US healthcare system uses a mix of fragmented Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems. Getting them to talk to each other (interoperability) is the biggest headache for Hospital CIOs.
The Challenge: Proprietary Formats
Vendors like Epic, Cerner, and Allscripts use different data structures. A patient’s allergy list in one system might not look the same in another, leading to dangerous gaps in care.
The Solution: HL7 and FHIR Standards
**HL7 (Health Level Seven)** and the modern **FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources)** are the universal translators. FHIR uses modern web technology (JSON/REST APIs) to allow different systems to exchange granular data elements securely.
Best Practices for Integration
- Use an Interface Engine: Middleware like Mirth Connect acts as a traffic cop, translating messages between systems without needing point-to-point connections.
- Data Normalization: Raw data is messy. Cleaning and mapping data to standard terminologies (like SNOMED-CT or LOINC) ensures that ‘High Blood Pressure’ and ‘Hypertension’ are treated as the same condition.
Conclusion
Interoperability is the key to a longitudinal patient record. Hospitals that solve this unlock the true power of their data for analytics and population health.
