The Importance of Interoperability in Health Tech

The healthcare data monopoly is about to crack open. After years of watching patients like my daughter Bailey struggle with 26 different portals that don't talk to each other, the policy winds are again shifting in our direction. CMS and ONC just dropped an RFI that reads like our business plan. They're asking the right questions about value-based care, data standards, and true interoperability. More importantly, they're signaling something bigger: we're at a crossroads between allowing natural monopolies to dominate healthcare or building genuine competitive ecosystems. The current administration is bringing back pro-transparency and pro-competition policies with renewed urgency. They understand what we've been saying: you can't unlock AI's potential in healthcare when data sits trapped in proprietary silos. As Amy Gleason rightfully said "We’re not rehashing the interoperability discussion, we’re here to finish it”! In this interview with David Raths, Healthcare Innovation, Jill DeGraff and I break down what it will take:  -      Enforce the Information Blocking and Interoperability mandates. While most providers and payers comply, the list of excuses is long for those who don’t.  -      EHR certification needs to move to the APIs that surround the EHR. Data AND Access APIs are required to create real value. Shoppability should look more like Google Flights than a guessing game. -      We need to cure portalitis. My daughter should be able to use her biometrics to access her complete medical record, just like she can use them to board a plane. Instead, she's locked out of pediatric portals because she aged out of their system. -      Continue the mandate on Bulk FHIR. If we really want to get all beneficiaries into a value based arrangement by 2030, providers must be able to access their OWN data at a population level. If the industry hopes to truly leverage AI to transform care, then data can’t be locked up any more. The infrastructure exists. The technology is ready. The question is whether we'll seize this moment to build the patient-centered, transparent healthcare system we've been promising for decades. Article link in comments ↓

Josh Mandel, MD, Dan Gottlieb, and I, on behalf of SMART Health IT, submitted comprehensive comments to the CMS/ASTP/ONC Request for Information on the Health Technology Ecosystem.   Our key recommendations: Streamline regulation. Take a deregulatory approach by focusing exclusively on the FHIR APIs already established under the 21st Century Cures Act—SMART on FHIR and Bulk FHIR—as the backbone for secure, standardized data exchange.   Empower patients. Ensure robust patient access to their complete electronic health information (EHI export), reinforcing the patient empowerment principles mandated by the 21st Century Cures Act.     Transform EHRs. Reimagine electronic health records as modular components within broader healthcare platforms, driving interoperability, competition, and innovation. Invest in R&D. Maintain sustained support for interoperability and health IT innovation through continued research and development, leveraging real-world deployments to accelerate healthcare transformation.   Why these recommendations matter: SMART on FHIR provides standardized, secure patient-level data access, enabling seamless integration of patient data across diverse healthcare applications. Bulk FHIR supports efficient organizational-level data exchange, crucial for managing large patient cohorts and gaining actionable population-level insights. Together, these APIs serve as critical infrastructure for healthcare interoperability and innovation.   Positioning EHRs as modular elements within larger healthcare platforms fosters greater interoperability, reduces vendor lock-in, enhances market competition, and catalyzes innovation across the healthcare ecosystem.   Finally, continued investment in federally funded R&D is essential. Proven through real-world deployments, such investments consistently enhance healthcare data exchange, clinical efficiency, and patient engagement—laying the foundation for a robust, innovative healthcare infrastructure.   You can read our detailed response here: https://lnkd.in/efYu6J-m Aneesh Chopra Brendan Keeler

CMS recently asked the digital health ecosystem for input on fixing healthcare interoperability – writing our response was a genuinely exciting opportunity to engage in the policy making process and I’m happy to share more about our priorities. At Particle Health, we connect organizations to 320+ million patient records across 70,000+ healthcare organizations day in and day out. I get to see the incredible potential of true interoperability right alongside the frustrating barriers that still exist. Here’s the thing – the infrastructure we need is mostly there. TEFCA and the Cures Act make a really great foundation. But we're still dealing with the same old defensive and even anticompetitive tactics from incumbents: information blocking, needless administrative hurdles, and ‘innovative ideas’ that are just new ways to protect market share rather than serve patients. Without real enforcement, TEFCA and the Cures Act are just empty promises. Case in point: between March and November last year, we know that Epic prevented thousands and thousands of doctors from accessing critical patient data through Particle's network, affecting 225,000+ patients. Despite strong information blocking regulations on the books and a clear path to report what happened, we've seen zero enforcement. Instead - we’ve seen Incumbents seek even greater protections from information blocking penalties, ranging from safe harbor protections to imposing onerous patient identification requirements that go beyond existing law and will prevent the exchange of data needed to optimize patient care. This is discouraging. But I believe we're at a turning point. The question isn't whether healthcare data will eventually become accessible–it's how fast we can make it happen. People want their own data and they want the benefits that come with being able to share it with providers quickly and easily. Our response to CMS focuses on three changes that would turn the tide: actual enforcement of information blocking rules, eliminating administrative theater, and creating hard timelines and technical standards for data sharing. Link in comments to read our full response. Healthcare data must be accessible and affordable. Period.   Share this if you believe healthcare data should serve patients, not gatekeepers.

Unlocking Healthcare Interoperability: Overcoming EMR Barriers for Operational Excellence The healthcare industry is at a pivotal crossroads. Recent developments in EMR interoperability—such as the widespread adoption of the FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) standards and the implementation of the 21st Century Cures Act's interoperability and information blocking rules—are setting the stage for a more connected and efficient healthcare ecosystem. However, significant roadblocks remain. Some of the largest EMR vendors have built proprietary systems that limit seamless data exchange. These closed platforms and lack of standardized APIs not only stifle innovation but also hinder healthcare providers from accessing comprehensive patient information. This fragmentation leads to increased administrative burdens and can adversely affect patient care. For healthcare tech-enabled service providers like #Neolytix, improving autonomous processing of operations is a core mission. Interoperability is not just a technical challenge for us—it's a fundamental requirement to enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes. Autonomous processing relies heavily on the ability to access and integrate data from various sources effortlessly. When data is siloed, the potential for automation and innovation is significantly diminished. The importance of breaking down these barriers cannot be overstated. By advocating for open standards and interoperability, we can: - Enhance Patient Care: Provide healthcare professionals with complete and accurate patient information, leading to better diagnosis and treatment. - Reduce Administrative Burdens: Streamline operations by automating routine tasks, allowing staff to focus more on patient care. - Foster Innovation: Enable new technologies and services to integrate seamlessly, driving the industry forward. At Neolytix, we're committed to navigating these challenges by leveraging cutting-edge technology and pushing for greater transparency and collaboration in the industry. We're working diligently to improve autonomous processing in healthcare operations, ensuring that the benefits of interoperability are fully realized. It's time for all stakeholders—EMR vendors, healthcare providers, policymakers, and tech innovators—to come together to overcome these obstacles. By doing so, we can unlock the full potential of healthcare interoperability and build a system that truly serves everyone's best interests. Join us in advocating for a more connected and efficient healthcare future. Let's work together to break down the barriers to interoperability and drive meaningful change in the industry. #HealthcareLeadership #HealthcareCFO #HealthcareCOO #HealthcareCEO #HealthcareOperations #HealthcareInteroperability #HealthTech #HealthcareInnovation #Neolytix