Semantic Interoperability

One of the most important characteristics of an EHR while storing the clinical information is its ability to be interoperable: to share that information among other authorized users. If different information systems cannot communicate or interact with each other, then sharing is not possible. In order to achieve the objective to exchange clinical

Interoperability is the way information is shared across an organization. Sharing information across all avenues of health care is imperative to quality patient care. Coordination between all members of the health care team can occur through a congruent system, eliminating unnecessary phone calls and paper work that take away from patient care. The sharing of information electronically reduces the likelihood that files could be lost or stolen which creates a liability for all those involved in the care of the patient.

A computerized clinical database consists of clinical data for storing, retrieving, analyzing, and reporting of information (McCartney, 2012).

The information sharing document is often patient-centered. This means that the patient is in relation to each type of material in rotation. In fact, when a document having the patient’s information is going around in different health information systems, it is vital in guaranteeing that all the systems are referring to the patient in question. Therefore, this type of

After the release of ResearchKit, Medidata revealed an open- source connecter linking the Apple ResearchKit to the Medidata Clinical Cloud. This integration will further help to use the data that is collected through the ResearchKit to improve the study designs. “Medidata has developed a mechanism allowing study builders to map the data generated from ResearchKit apps to studies in Medidata Rave” (NASDAQ:MDSO, 2015). The connection of software will give birth to a new level of productivity; expanding the quality, study designs, management and reporting of the clinical trials. “With the use of semantic web technology, a researcher will be able to create a data file using tags that identified which data items identified the researchers, the inclusion criteria, the aim of the study, the baseline tests to be performed, the details of the treatments to be compared and so on. And such data can be analyzed

However, there are still some interface issues between Allscripts and Epic. Interfacing between two different EHR systems is vital for communication, accuracy, and efficiency. It requires customization of interoperability methodologies to overcome the constraints that prevent information flowing from one EHR to another.

NIH Public Access published an article about SNOMED CT 's RF2. SNOMED is complex and extensive computer information that allows common medical to be captured, shared, and aggregating health data. SNOMED was established in 2002 and was research up until 2010. During that time there were many problems that arise. Therefore, in 2010 the International Health Terminology Standards Development Organization (IHTSDO) that implemented a new format called RF2. At first glance, RF2 seems to be a cosmetic change; however, it holds great promise for the future because of its flexibility and to deal with a number of issues concerning the ontological underpinnings.

Establishing standards for vocabularies promote data quality within health information systems. Scholarly works support this principle within the Health Information Management profession. The following articles support data quality, standardization, and interoperability as critical components of health information management and exchange. The goal of true exchange will include data sharing of critical information across the care continuum, often across disparate systems.

Currently, the topic of interoperability is at the forefront of health data management. While lacking a standard definition of interoperability itself, the National Alliance for Health Information Technology defines it as “the ability of different information technology systems and software applications to communicate, to exchange data accurately, effectively, and consistently, and to use the information that has been exchanged.” Interoperability now stands at the center of health IT’s future, as the success of electronic health records (EHRs) relies upon the exchange of health information. In essence, health information is already interoperable, as providers can write down data on a

In 2013, the HIMSS Board of Directors defined interoperability in health care as having the ability to have different information technology systems and software applications communicate, exchange date, and then use the information that has been exchanged (HIMSS, 2015). Data exchange permits data accessibility between organizational boundaries, while interoperability means health systems have the ability to work together in order to advance the health status of the individuals and communities the system serves. For two systems to be interoperable, they must be able to exchange data that can be understood by a user (HIMSS, 2015). This is extremely important to the goals of HITECH and meaningful use because it aligns with the government standard

When I first enrolled in BMI 5300: Introduction to Biomedical Informatics class, I was very eager and excited to learn the role of biomedical informatics in healthcare organizations and the importance of data capture and analysis in improving public health. One of the major misconceptions I had was that this course would not cover wide range of factors influencing the biomedical informatics field. Much to my surprise, the course provided a comprehensive analysis of factors related to biomedical informatics, including but not limited to EHR systems, interfaces, Health Information Exchanges, Meaningful Use (MU) requirements, and controlled medical vocabularies such as Logical Observation Identifiers Names and

Health information exchange (HIE) delivers information when and where it is needed to provide improvements in healthcare quality and efficiency. HIE requires essential coding standards throughout health information management so that information can be accessed, merged, divided and/or shared with other healthcare organizations. In order to reach interoperability; message, exchange, and terminological standards are a few key attributes needed. HL7 v2, CDA and RxNorm aid in reaching these standards to achieve HIE.

We can say it is true the interoperability and health information exchange are similar, it is a common mistake that interoperability means health information exchange (HIE).

In health care, patients’ lives are in the hands of the health care practitioners, health care organizations, insurance companies, and to some degree, even health care technology. The growth and future implications of evidence-based medicine (EBM) through improvement of technology in health care are important today, because health care practitioners and organizations want to ultimately decrease cost, improve quality of care, and increase access to health care (Glandon, Smaltz, & Slovensky, 2014, p. 28). One way to achieve these goals is through the implementation and improvement of EBM and interoperability which will enhance the efficiency of work production resulting in these positive outcomes. According to Glandon, Smaltz, and Slovensky (2014), EBM is an “information management and learning strategy that seeks to integrate clinical expertise with the best evidence available to make effective clinical decisions that will ultimately improve patient care,” (p. 6). “Interoperability is the ability of different information and communications technology systems and software applications to communicate, to exchange data accurately, effectively, and consistently, and to use information that has been exchanged,” (Iroju, Soriyan, Gambo, & Olaleke, 2013, para. 1). Without interoperability and EBM, fundamental data and information such as patient records cannot be easily shared across and within enterprises having a direct impact on the quality of care. It

As the implementation of electronic health records (EHR) progress nationwide, the concepts of interoperability and health information exchange (HIE) must be discussed. The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (2005, p. 2) define interoperability as “the ability of health information systems to work together within and across organizational boundaries in order to advance the effective delivery of healthcare for individuals and communities.” Interoperability is the enabling of two systems, including those that do not share