Interoperability: Where systems — and people — connect

When healthcare professionals think about interoperability, they envision an integrated environment where all their systems and devices can exchange information. But when it comes to connectivity, what is the real end goal?

In our recent study with HealthLeaders, we asked leading healthcare professionals about their expectations for interoperability at their organization. For 81% of respondents, expectations were focused on better communication. Healthcare leaders know that interoperability isn’t just about connecting systems – it’s about connecting people.

While organizations are focused on system and device connectivity, it is equally important to have the right people and workflows in place for true interoperability. Check out the top ways providers can bring people together for a more connected care experience: 

• Digitize the fax queue and documents to create actionable workflows for clinicians. It’s clear that printed documents still have a place in modern healthcare organizations. Even in today’s digital world, paper documentation still fuels certain workflows. But by digitizing the fax queue, organizations can help eliminate lost paper documentation and empower users to direct faxes to actionable work queues — such as the pharmacy or laboratory electronic order queue. Users can also tag faxes so they are electronically matched with the correct patient record.

• Collaborate remotely with interactive whiteboards. Interactive whiteboards enable clinicians to connect in a more meaningful way than just a phone call, email or fax when discussing a patient’s care. Collaborative tools like this provide opportunities for greater care coordination within the hospital and among affiliate facilities. Any collaborative documents created using the whiteboard can then easily be converted into a PDF file and integrated directly into the EHR for future reference and use.

• Eliminate manual data entry. Typically, patients complete registration forms on paper, and the responsibility for inputting the data collected falls to staff. When patients accidentally omit important billing information, staff may not see the error until the patient encounter is complete — and that puts revenue at risk. When financial information is attached to the patient’s health record, the data can be auto-populated with intelligent forms and verified in real time. Front-desk staff can then focus their time on activities that provide greater value for patients and improve efficiency.