Nearly 90% of health IT leaders surveyed say vendor consolidation is crucial to their interoperability strategy, while less than one-fifth currently have the technology required to provide it
CliniComp, the pioneer in high-performing, reliable, electronic health record (EHR) solutions, today announced the results of a new CHIME Foundation survey of Chief Information Officers (CIOs) that highlights the growing importance of interoperability in healthcare, and the economic and technology gaps that are preventing healthcare organizations of all sizes from implementing it.Â
According to the survey respondents, 89% of health IT leaders believe that vendor consolidation is key to building and executing on interoperability in their EHRs, as only 16% reported that vendor agnostic interoperability is provided by their core EHR at this time. While interoperability discussions have traditionally centered on concerns over technology and standards, CIOs overwhelmingly cited the cost of initial and ongoing integration (47%) and vendor unwillingness and delays (42%) as their biggest barriers to implementation, with many often relying on bolted on or customized one-off solutions to solve integration issues.
“The survey shows that healthcare organizations want interoperability, and that the concerns of the past, technology and standards alignment, are no longer front and center, and what we need now is a realistic path forward in terms of cost and vendor readiness,” said Kem Graham, Vice President, Growth and Strategy at CliniComp. “The results have also revealed that CIOs deeply understand the value of interoperability and what it can bring to their healthcare system.”
For example, 47% of CIOs recognize that, while they have all the data they need, it lives in disconnected systems and that interoperability has been treated as a project rather than as the foundational architecture. Further, they know the difference true interoperability could make: 58% cite improved care coordination, and 37% cite either improved patient safety and reduced medical errors or reduced costs and duplication as positive potential outcomes.
“What was surprising is that these struggles aren’t reserved for small health systems. Many survey respondents representing hospitals with 500+ beds reported that they presently cannot engage in all four domains of interoperability: sending, receiving, finding, and integrating data,” said Graham. “Regardless of size, all respondents are now focused on outcomes that create a better, more connected health experience for everyone involved, and that sends a clear message about the direction of healthcare.”
Health IT leaders also have a clear picture of who they think should be responsible for moving interoperability forward in healthcare, with most pointing to industry consortiums, followed by EHR vendors, and health systems themselves, and believe that collaboration, support for integration, and vendor-agnostic capabilities are key to making it happen.