To reach efficiency within sharing data in the healthcare industry, there is a global need for alignment and interoperability in healthcare data. Semantic interoperability is a top priority in the healthcare industry. 

The perfect scenario is where the healthcare equipment, systems, apps, and products from different vendors operate together in a coordinated way. In today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, semantic interoperability has emerged as a critical factor in delivering efficient and trustworthy patient care and research. The ability to exchange and access patient data across different systems, regions and countries is crucial for improving healthcare. Healthcare systems are used all over the world, which means that a global solution is beneficial for scalability.

Challenges in healthcare interoperability 

Healthcare data is often siloed across various systems and in different formats. The lack of standardisation formats and protocols complicates the exchange of data between systems and fragmented information is hindering comprehensive patient care. The lack of semantic interoperability makes it difficult to interpret and exchange data with accuracy, which challenges clinical decision-making and care coordination. Not to mention the restraints of different setups in different markets and countries, which creates a demand for unique setups and makes it hard to scale up a solution.

There is a potential saving of time and costs, when data is handled more efficiently, but most importantly, it is patient safety that is at risk and this needs to be addressed when healthcare data is not interoperable.

Despite the advancements in healthcare technology, several challenges remain when trying to achieve streamlined data governance. Legal, organisational, and technical interoperability is important, but it is particularly important to have semantic interoperability in place.

The solution: FHIR and OpenEHR integration

Many organisations have started the work with interoperability. There are standards within the EU, as well as frameworks and reference architecture available. Most impact will happen when the semantic interoperability is addressed.

The solution is a combination of standards for Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) and Electronic Health Record (OpenEHR). 

• FHIR is a standardised framework for exchanging healthcare information electronically and provides a common language for data exchange, enabling interoperability between different systems and applications. 
• OpenEHR is an open-source standard for building EHR systems, focusing on semantic and clinical modelling.

Integrating FHIR with OpenEHR means unified data access, better care coordination and better decision making, as well as scalability and flexibility. Different platforms could be used for this purpose. Qinshift have chosen to partner with Better, a market leader within the industry that is providing a simple solution to a complex challenge. Better offers a web based clinical modelling tool for OpenEHR model and low code development.

Conclusion

The true benefit is that patient data from various sources is accessible in a standardised format. The care givers can access accurate and up-to-date patient information, which means more correct decisions and improved patient treatment. Patients can actively participate in their care when they can access and share information about themselves across different healthcare providers. The data that used to be locked in one system is available for multiple access points, but still the process is secured and compliant with the regulatory standards as HIPAA and GDPR. 

Embracing semantic interoperability is not just a technological upgrade, but a shift towards a more patient centric healthcare eco system where patient data is used more efficiently in collaboration between the caretaker and the care givers.

In an increasingly interconnected world, this is a step forward towards erasing borders and geographical boundaries. The possibilities are here and the revolution of an efficient exchange of healthcare information has already started.

Get in touch if you want to know more about how to shift towards this healthcare standard.