Interoperability in healthcare refers to the communication of the software and information system through the exchange of data. The data is exchanged amongst different disciplines within and outside the organization (Tran., 2017). Interoperability has several benefits to the healthcare system, and all lead to a better, advanced, and effective delivery of healthcare. It occurs on several levels, which are: foundational, structural, and semantic.
The benefits of interoperability in healthcare include; quality care, and this occurs when adequate data concerning the patient visits to the hospital is kept and accessible at any given time. When patients seek medical help several times its referred as a continuum of care, and it should be recorded because it will guide future decisions concerning their health hence providing quality care. It also improves efficiency because it enables the medical personnel has real-time results, and this will improve accuracy and attending of more patients (Cardoso et al., 2018).
Interoperability has influenced on several impacts in-home care nursing, to mention a few; first is the telehealth which allows for the virtual doctors visit, however, the patient and the doctor must be connected through technology. Connected technology is made possible by the interoperability. Second is that it has benefited home care nursing through remote patient monitoring guided by mobile app, and other wearable devices that can signal emergencies or transmit relevant data to the medical personnel. And the third is that interoperability has improved clinical data accessibility and management (Cardoso et al., 2018). Treatment from the healthcare team will be very effective at their service and can explain well the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis when they have clinical data. Additionally, clinical data accessibility will prevent readmission; prolonged hospital stays emergency room visits.
References
Cardoso, L., Marins, F., Quintas, C., Portela, F., Santos, M., Abelha, A., & Machado, J. (2018). Interoperability in healthcare. In Health Care Delivery and Clinical Science: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications (pp. 689-714). IGI Global.
Tran, B. Q. (2017). U.S. Patent No. 9,820,658. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
