Content Writing: Excerpts
At present times, even though the promotion of health care reform has been a main focus across the world, the United States is one of the many countries, which seriously gave it painstaking attention.
To keep up with the fast pace of new global technology, the advancement of the products and services related to health care in the U.S. has eventually begun.
The fusion of information technology (I.T.) with health care is the most anticipated in these innovations. I.T. is the use of computers in the handling, transfer and storage of data.
Hence, in the health industry, health information technology is using computers effectively to process health data and patients’ records to be able to save, store, utilize and share this information for future references.
What is interoperability?
More ever, the capacity of various health information technology systems and computer applications to converge and interchange data from one hospital to other health organizations is aptly identified as interoperability.
Just recently, the U.S. requires all medical and electronic records of hospitals, clinics and other health providers to become interoperable. Interoperability is allowing several systems and organizations to interoperate and work together beyond operational constraints.
According to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health I.T. (2013), the interoperable setting upgrades the delivery of health care by making the precise data available at the right time to the correct people.
What is EHR?
These particular precise data are often termed electronic health records (EHR). EHR is the digital or computerized copies of patients’ medical records. This information is based on real-time, up-to-date, readily available and can be accessed anytime, anywhere.
It is patient-centered and deemed complete because it may include a comprehensive medical history and diagnoses, prescriptions, immunizations, allergies, x-ray images, laboratory and test results from past to present medical background from different hospitals and clinics (Office of the National Coordinator for Health I.T., 2013)
Why interoperable?
One significant thing to consider is the fact that various EHR products, tools, datasets and applications function differently from one another.
However, an interoperable health IT environment makes it significantly possible that information is effortlessly exchanged between these complex systems.
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health I.T. (2013) confirms that interoperability enables better workflows, lessened vagueness and permits data transfers among systems and health care providers.
If the health IT procedures are interoperable, the complete EHR data of a patient can be available, utilize and access by different doctors in several hospitals and healthcare organizations. Thus, prompt, accurate and patient-centered diagnoses, treatment and services can be provided to cater to his own particular medical needs (Office of the National Coordinator for Health I.T., 2013).
So, why else electronics health records are necessary to be interoperable? The Office of the National Coordinator for Health I.T. (2013) summarizes the significance of interoperability in health information technology, to assure that EHR data is as follows:
- patient-centered, delivering care that is considerate and receptive to individual patient dispositions, needs and beliefs;
- evidenced-based, ensuring that every medical procedure is done are properly documented and recorded;
- prevention, helping to detect any symptoms or signs of illnesses;
- efficient, achieving higher levels of performance comparative to time and resources used;
- equitable, maintaining to be fair and just; and
- safety and security, being free from potential risk or danger
Lastly, interoperability of EHR promotes the development of better health standards among different health organizations, cuts repetitive or duplicate tests and procedures, enables the patient, himself to have access to his records and systematize manual processes.###
