Three practical steps toward health data interoperability

Read part one

As I detailed in my previous post, health data interoperability (HDI) is important for the effective and efficient delivery of high-quality healthcare, yet hard to achieve in practice. 

In that first installment, I suggested some strategic choices that will make HDI possible on the needed scale. Now, let’s turn to practical steps. 

There are three key steps to take at the beginning of an HDI effort to build a foundation for success: 

1. Develop a series of initiatives focused on improving the customer experience. Measure improvement by channel and overall. The initiatives should contain updates to the operating model.
2. Define business event processes that cover all lines of business within the operating model. Include customer journeys within those business lines. Organize business events in a journey map format with input from the field employees and customers.
3. Adopt a data framework, policy set and protocols for data exchange. The framework should be formulated as a set of maturity models and KPIs with the goal of improving data stewardship programs, data architecture, data standards and data quality.

The benefits of taking these steps are multifold. They: 

• Allow organizations to address population health activities that are identified via surveys and trends
• Enable data availability for digital health-related activities
• Provide precision medicine activity support including tailored therapies, coordination of care across multiple teams, reduction of waste due to streamlining, and reduction of wait times
• Enable the adoption of an event-driven architecture that makes the organization more responsive

In a future blog, we will discuss how this holistic approach—led by strong change management principles, with senior leadership buy-in—can unfold swiftly with the enthused participation of all parties involved.

Holistic approach notwithstanding, it is worth considering at a high level the technologies your HDI project will entail, including API Gateways, data governance platforms and analytics solution sets. 

The start of a new year is the traditional time for reflecting on progress made and renewing commitments.  Now is the time to recommit your health agency to a successful HDI effort, designed to deliver an array of CX satisfaction, security, innovation—and, yes, efficiency benefits.

For more information on how you can help lead your health agency’s successful HDI effort, contact me.
 

Next: Health data and customer experience