Interoperability in healthcare is defined as the ability to share, interpret, and use data strategically to improve patient care outcomes. Barriers in achieving interoperability of systems include technical challenges, organizational resistance, and regulatory constraints which may be addressed by the adoption of universal data standards. There are differing degrees of interoperability and items can be categorized from numbers 1-4, with 4 being the highest level. The four levels are: foundational, structural, semantic, and organizational. Semantic interoperability is an example of a high level and encompasses precise and efficient patient care. It is important to consider the patient privacy and security risks when sharing sensitive patient data by having a robust encryption, adequate access controls, and compliance with privacy regulations. Currently we are not at a level where the exchange of data has become seamless in all data sharing experience as there is a great need to standardize the way we use the data to our advantage. Systems need to be in place to demonstrate consistency measures, as well as any other quantitative or qualitative information that can be categorized appropriately. In 2009 the Healthcare Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) act was enacted and provided $36 billion to help modernize healthcare through technology. Unfortunately, the funds may have been misallocated due to a lack of knowledge on how to maximize the use of the funds. When Covid-19 arrived, many organizations across the globe were scrambling to modernize their systems to stay afloat. Although absolutely catastrophic, the Covid-19 pandemic was a wake-up call for us all to get with the times and to speed up the ability to use data effectively and time efficiently. In the event of future catastrophic events, we will be relying on up-to-date technology to provide consistent, quality, and equitable care for all.
