The healthcare sector has made impressive strides toward interoperability, according to a recent assessment, which is mostly attributable to the widespread use of standards-based application programming interfaces (APIs). The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) conducted the survey, which highlights a trend in which digital health companies are increasingly integrating with electronic health records (EHRs) using the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standard.
The Cures Act Final Rule, which required approved APIs to use FHIR, is largely responsible for the protocol’s popularity. The promotion of data harmonization and the simplification of communication between EHRs and outside apps have been made possible by this rule. Positively, the poll indicates that digital health startups and EHR vendors have good compliance rates, indicating improved information sharing shortly, read the complete blog to know about FHIR Adoption on the Rise ONC Survey Shows Digital Health Companies Embrace Standards Based APIs.
Key survey insights include:
- The vast majority of digital health organizations polled (73%) use standards-based application programming interfaces (APIs), with FHIR emerging as the go-to option for integrating EHRs.
- Businesses utilizing several EHRs have significantly greater FHIR adoption rates (75%) than do those integrating just one EHR (25%).
- Widespread adoption is hampered by ongoing worries about expensive prices, a lack of testing data, and a restricted number of data items.
- Through the use of standardized APIs, ONC efforts like Lantern, Inferno, and the recently implemented HTI-1 rule are actively removing these obstacles and enabling more access to data.
Addressing Challenges: ONC Initiatives and Future Outlook
Recognizing the barriers preventing full API adoption, the ONC has started several programs targeted at encouraging creativity and getting beyond roadblocks. Through standardized APIs, projects like Lantern, Inferno, and the recently announced HTI-1 regulation play a crucial role in increasing data availability and improving interoperability. These projects set the stage for a more connected and data-driven healthcare system by tackling issues with affordability, testing infrastructure, and data comprehensiveness.
Looking Ahead: Leveraging Insights for Transformative Change
The survey’s insights are a useful tool for stakeholders navigating the difficulties of healthcare interoperability as they direct future endeavors. These results can be used by developers, providers, and policymakers to create plans that tackle current issues and hasten the implementation of seamless electronic health information interchange. The healthcare sector can unleash the full potential of standards-based APIs and usher in a new era of interoperability-driven transformation by placing a high priority on cooperation, innovation, and regulatory compliance.
