| | November 20168CIOReviewBy Rick Schooler, VP & CIO, Orlando HealthThe World of DigitizationElectronic records have automated the process of documenting care and made patient information available on-line and in real time. They have also enabled redesign of provider work flows and the use of patient information in ways never possible with paper. There are those who might argue that certain of these changes have and continue to be problematic, but the profound and lasting impact (for example) of automated order entry, real-time clinical decision support, medication administration and on-line documentation cannot be denied. The pursuit of electronic records has been transformational, amounting to the automation of the core business much like that of other industries to which healthcare is often compared. However, the higher value of electronic records is now ready for harvest. With this first phase of transformation largely complete, it's time to move into the volume-value shift through the real-time and retrospective use of the data and all things mobile.The Art of AdaptationProviders are now required to devote more time to documentation, data entry and other electronic record functions.EMR/EHR and related technologies are now at the very core of healthcare delivery. As such, a major shift in thinking and in workflow is occurring, driving the need for cultural and process change across the care continuum. Organizations must achieve full adoption and compliance with the demands of automation, otherwise inefficiencies will increase, frustration will mount and patient care/safety will be at risk. If a decision is made to pursue a particular level of automation, all must be on board. Inconsistent use of technology at the point of care can be very dangerous.Tackling InteroperabilityUnfortunately, interoperability still means "interfacing" in the context of disparate systems and their ability to exchange information. Organizations continue to address this as in the past­with a set of detailed specifications certified and supported by the vendors in play. Although this may for some time remain the approach to interoperability among competing vendor technologies, the industry must get to a point where full consensus is obtained on the specific format and content of exchanged data and that interoperable "data exchange adapters" are built into vendor products as native code. Vendor products should ultimately contain a number of standard/common data elements (in both format and meaning)which work as an integrated application feature and seamlessly hook to the "data exchange adapters" common with what resides in other products.Automation Leading the Change in HealthcareIn My Opinion
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