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25 things to know about health IT interoperability

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June 17, 2015

A patient visits a hospital for a routine procedure. Regardless of his provider, the hospital can retrieve electronic copies of everything from family history and known allergies to detailed notes on previous hospital visits and prescriptions.

The information in the patient’s EHR is well-organized, standardized, accessible and interfaces seamlessly with the hardware and software used by patient, clinician and provider.

This is the interoperable future the healthcare industry is working toward, but the path between here and there is riddled with stumbling blocks and complications ….

Key statistics

5. With proper integrations of EHR, medical devices and interoperable standards, healthcare costs could be reduced by as much as $30 billion per year, on top of improved patient care and hospital safety, according to an analysis by the West Health Institute. The primary cost benefits of efficient EHR adoption and interoperability are an anticipated reduction in unnecessary procedures, malpractice lawsuits, hospital stays and patient visits.

Please click here to read the full story in Becker’s Health IT & CIO Review.