Interoperability Challenges in Healthcare IT

Dipankar Ghosh, a seasoned Senior Manager in IT Operations at Max Healthcare and holds a Master's in Computer Applications from Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology. His expertise includes server administration, network management, and firewall configuration. With over a decade of experience in healthcare IT, Dipankar has a proven track record in managing day-to-day operations, implementing HIS and EMR systems, and ensuring IT compliance. He engaged in a conversation with the India Pharma Outlook magazine to speak about the interoperability challenges related to IT in healthcare.

Healthcare IT is a keyword that comes with lots of baggage. It not only records, analyzes, visualizes, and shares patient-specific data but also has a huge scope for the clinical sector in terms of Doctors, Nurses, Paramedic teams, Medical operations teams, Laboratory and Radiologist studies for higher medical research.

The present scenarios of Hospital Technology seem to be very much affected by AI and the digital project vision. The Boards of any healthcare group deemed to cease for upmost and upgraded Technological change towards healthcare IT. The ERP, Hospital Information System, Electronic recording system, Radiology Information System, and Laboratory Information System are some of the domains that have been taken care of for technological enhancement. Other sections, like the Mobile APP for Clinicians and Patients, are kept on top-level enhancement.

The word interoperability refers to a specific attribution of a system to work with other products or systems, which we have seen as an information exchange process (system engineering). When we talk about the hospital, the majority of information interchange has been done in various ways, like open API, HL7, database views, etc. There is a maximum chance that a cyber security assessment will be done as a foremost engineering process. When we connect our database system with any patient monitoring system, there can be many areas where the integrations could lag in terms of the speed and scope of the device connected. The challenges are many, and the solution factor is never-ending. However, data filtering and data protection with correct exchanges of data between two systems are the main areas. Not only every healthcare technologist but even the Program Manager or the Associates suffers from this key area where eligibility has not been made.

There are many ways that an Operation Led for Information technology in healthcare optimizes the way of data exchanges. One is the server or Endpoint (Desktop or Laptop) where it is hosted been properly patched; assessment of threats like VAPT (only for servers) accounting is one of the factors. Microsoft as a group always has a newer version of the OS every year, so it has been challenging to audit the proper validation of the OS as per the present Windows setup. The older patch carries a lot of threat since the patches have not been met as per the criteria. This can be a very correct way for one healthcare team to have proper systems in place. The second part is the application; it must meet the present layer of interactions with different devices in medical areas. E.g., a patient lying in bed post-operation theatre procedure or an Intensive care Unit can be handled via a device that can be used for monitoring the vitals and sending the alerts to a Mobile device or an APP used by Clinicians in real time as an alert mechanism. This will reduce the time and effort of QRT (quick response team) in terms of CODE accouchement of any miss happening during that particular time.

The next part is the Budget – here many Healthcare organizations focus on the investment made in some other sector rather than the Information Head. Here I am not opposed to all, since nowadays many healthcare groups invest in OPEX and CAPEX for new digital initiatives. The modernization of the IT Application like the HIS system, is the key factor for the proper interaction ability with other areas or any Healthcare IOT systems. The cloud adoption solution by many vendors has already been seen in COVID.

The main section of Healthcare Applications must have standardization in terms of the UI, integrations, or interoperability with other apps. Sometimes we need to think outside the box for some applications to have interfaced with the HIS system as per the scope of HIS. The Centralized Patient Monitoring System (CPRS) or EHR is one of the aspects about which I am talking here. These systems can be used or developed with some other Partner and interfaced with the HIS system. Even the Human Resource System HRIS can be interfaced for the onboarding or offboarding of the employees of a particular healthcare group.

Some of the advantages of Interoperable Healthcare Technology:

Interoperability in healthcare has provided everyone in the industry with benefits.

Patients 

Health information and the treatment process helps in interoperable healthcare systems, which has enhanced patient care. They keep patients from explaining their ailments and treatments to many clinical teams of different specialties as well.

Clinicians

Clinicians will have access to patient data due to healthcare interoperability. This accelerates the way diagnoses are validated, avoids unnecessary medical procedures, and decreases clinician stress.

Medical Admin staff

Data Reporting, or automation, is the strongest defense against medication mistakes. Personnel can avoid manual information sharing. Patient visits, calendar scheduling, and medical billing also become error-free with automated exchanges.

Pharmacies

Rx transfer is also one of the components of healthcare interoperability. Pharmacies can improve their productivity by obtaining e-prescriptions from physicians and monitoring which drugs are administered to patients.

TPA’s/Insurance

Early detection using interoperable technologies reduces adverse event costs for insurers. Avoiding needless testing and treatments saves insurance companies money.

Thus, healthcare interoperability benefits everyone in the healthcare ecosystem.