Healthcare organizations today grapple with fragmented information systems. While the systems are meant to operate smoothly and seamlessly, they can’t do so because of various interoperability issues. Indeed, all healthcare IT systems need to enhance their ability to exchange and process shared data between applications, devices, and other systems. Suppose you discover that your electronic health records, lab information system, health management system, and radiology information system work like disparate systems without effective connectivity. In that case, it’s time to get expert assistance. Here are some of the signs that you need to improve interoperability with the help of an HL7 consultant.
1. Integration Interfaces Are Unreliable
Do you experience system outages, or are your messages not getting through as expected?
Your integration interfaces enable the seamless flow of data between departments with different clinical applications. Without the smooth flow of data, clinicians will be using outdated data, reducing patient safety and leading to a low quality of care.
Working with an HL7 consultant will enable you to tune-up or rebuild your integration engine. As a result, you will have the ability to monitor the speed of messages and see any delays or outright failures.
2. Users Experience Slow Responses
You shouldn’t wait for clinicians to report that applications are loading slowly. By the time this happens, you have a severe issue on your hands.
While a slow response may occur during peak hours due to an increase in demand, it may also be a sign of interface engine failure.
If the interface cannot handle the throughput when there’s a surge in demand, you may have to use paper processes. These manual processes increase the risk of introducing documentation errors. Clinicians who can’t access complete patient records at the point of care may end up offering poor treatment.
A robust integration designed by an HL7 expert will improve the speed of displaying data to clinicians.
3. Adding New Interfaces is Difficult
Today’s healthcare IT environment has many fragmented applications. From personal equipment like wearables to telemedicine systems to electronic health records systems and lab information systems, the demand for interoperability is increasing rapidly.
This places a higher demand on interoperability interfaces, with clinicians and patients demanding fully integrated systems.
Today, CIOs and CTOs need integrated systems that can connect to other providers’ systems, healthcare information exchanges (HIE), and receive data from family practitioners’ health management systems.
Your HL7 consultant can help you create an integration engine that smoothly links up with new applications.
4. No Support for New APIs or HL7 FHIR
Due to the rapid demand for self-care applications and telemedicine devices, there’s an unprecedented rise in healthcare-related application programming interfaces (APIs).
Also, FHIR, which is based on APIs, is gaining traction as the go-to method of connecting different healthcare systems.
Your integration engine must have the capacity to integrate FHIR and new APIs to provide value-based care. In the U.S. and other countries in the West, there’s a shift towards delivering better patient experiences through new health tech innovations.
5. Tracking Interface Performance is a Tedious Task
A well-designed integration engine needs to have a robust dashboard for monitoring performance. It should provide notification to the right personnel when an issue pops up.
Ideally, the status of every interface should be monitored proactively to prevent any disruption.
Your monitoring system should have adjustable alert settings that may be used to inform in-house IT staff or your third-party vendor. Alerts should be available online, by email, or by SMS.
Get in Touch With an HL7 Consultant
Call us at 877.522.8378 to see a demo of an HL7 interface. You can also send us a message through our contact page.