Healthcare system interoperability is becoming increasingly important, especially among electronic health record (EHR) and electronic medical record (EMR) systems.
Before EHR interoperability was established, medical practices faxed or copied, printed, and mailed a patient’s medical records to referred external providers. Today, nearly 90% of office-based physicians use EHRs to securely store their patients’ sensitive medical records, communicate with patients and care team members, order prescriptions, and manage external referrals with ease. But not all modern EHR systems are currently interoperable.
In 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services worked the Promoting Interoperability Program to encourage the development of interoperability among EHR software solutions.
In this article, we’ll explore what EHR interoperability entails and why it’s important:
- Defining Interoperability in EHR Systems
- How to Achieve EHR Interoperability
- Four Key Benefits of Interoperability in EHR Systems
- Working Above and Beyond EHR Interoperability