Health Systems Integration

"Healthcare interoperability is evolving from basic data exchange to deeper, more meaningful integration across systems and care settings. The next step is achieving semantic and organizational interoperability, where data is not only shared but understood and used effectively for clinical decision-making and care coordination. What’s next: — Longitudinal, patient-centered records that follow individuals across providers and settings. — Widespread adoption of FHIR and open APIs, enabling smoother data access across platforms. — Integration of nontraditional data, including social determinants and wearable data. — AI-powered analytics leveraging standardized, interoperable datasets. What will help: — Stronger policy enforcement (e.g. TEFCA) and aligned privacy rules. — Standard adoption (FHIR, SNOMED, LOINC) to enable consistent data use. — Trusted data-sharing frameworks and robust governance. — Patient empowerment through access to and control over their own health data. In short, interoperability is moving toward enabling true data utility — and success will depend on aligned standards, shared trust and active participation from both providers and patients." - Josh Glandorf. CIO of UC San Diego Health https://lnkd.in/e8CVQC_x

After 12 years in Digital Health, here’s the playbook SeamlessMD uses with health systems to scale Tech to 10+ clinical areas in less than 2 years: 1️⃣ Get buy-in from an Executive Champion who is responsible for system-wide impact Contrary to popular belief, getting a Clinical Champion first is less important for scale than getting an Exec Champion at the start. You COULD go bottom up with 1 department… but it’s going to get less mindshare, resources and emotional investment from the organization. BUT if your Champion is a CXO or VP whose job it is to care about the problems you solve - not just for one department but for the whole organization - then you’ve got someone who is aligned on a path to SCALE. 2️⃣ Do roadshow presentations to 3 to 5 service lines that would deliver the highest ROI to the system with your Tech When health systems use SeamlessMD to engage patients pre/post-surgery, they COULD start with ankle surgery. But since ankle surgery tends to be a low-risk, low volume surgery… showing benefit here wouldn’t be convincing for scale. Instead are STRATEGIC about having us present first to Total Joints, Spine, Cardiac, Gyn - areas that are higher volume with big pain points to solve (e.g. tackling bundled payments). With higher volume, higher risk populations, you can produce success data much faster and get more service lines on board to be part of the scaling efforts. 3️⃣ Integrate with EHRs and patient portals from Day 1 Yes you COULD start off as a standalone. BUT the power of integrating the Digital Health tool with the EHR from the start means: → A standardized workflow from the very beginning, and not having to re-train staff on a new workflow later → Increased staff stickiness since the clinical workflows are more streamlined with fewer clicks → Broad visibility of the tool with IT/Digital from Day 1, which means they too are incentivized to be part of the scaling efforts 4️⃣ Establish an interprofessional Governance Committee responsible for success and scale This group meets once/quarter to review data, ensure alignment and make decisions (e.g. what service line occurs next) For this to work, you need representation across the board - leaders from Operations, Clinical and IT/Digital. Ideally leaders from Quality and Patient Experience as well. This also ensures there’s no single point of failure if one key person leaves the organization. 5️⃣ No “pilots” - everything done in “phases” with intent to scale Yes the initiative might fail and you should NOT scale something that is broken. BUT everyone is tired of doing “pilot after pilot”. So you have to design a roadmap in phases where you intend to scale IF it’s working. E.g. Year 1 with the first 4 clinical areas is your Phase 1, and if it’s working, you scale to 6 more clinical areas in Year 2. Sometimes language does matter, and if people believe this is “yet another pilot no one will care about”... it’ll show in the effort people put into it.

The cost of stagnation. Imagine walking into a bank today and being told you need to open a new account every time you visit a different branch. Sounds absurd, right? Yet, this is exactly what happens in Nigeria’s healthcare system when digital medical records fail to integrate across facilities. Patients are forced to repeat tests, wasting time and money—simply because hospitals don’t have interoperable data systems. This is a barrier to quality healthcare. The reality on the ground is: 🔹 Patients are paying multiple times for the same tests just because records can’t be accessed across hospitals. 🔹 Hospitals like Garki Hospital in Abuja have embraced digital systems, improving efficiency and cutting wait times. But step outside their walls, and it’s back to manual inefficiencies. 🔹 Federal teaching hospitals have adopted digital medical records, but state and local government hospitals remain largely paper-based. What’s holding us back? 1️⃣ A Lack of Standardisation ↳ Each hospital operates in a “single jurisdiction”—meaning no standardised national framework for sharing patient records. 2️⃣ Interoperability Issues ↳ Even in hospitals with digital systems, different platforms don’t talk to each other—forcing patients to start from scratch when they move between facilities. 3️⃣ Policy & Data Security Concerns ↳ Healthcare data is sensitive. Without a clear legal and regulatory framework, hospitals are reluctant to share records, fearing liability issues. What needs to change? ✅ A National Health Data Integration System ↳ Just as banks and telecom providers have seamless customer data systems, healthcare must prioritise a unified digital health framework. ✅ Public-Private Collaboration ↳ Technology firms, healthcare providers, and policymakers must work together to create a scalable, secure system that protects data while enhancing efficiency. ✅ Legislation for Data Standardisation ↳ The Federal Ministry of Health must enforce guidelines ensuring that all digital health platforms are interoperable across hospitals, clinics, and labs. A digitally connected healthcare system means faster diagnoses, lower costs, and better patient outcomes. If banking, telecom, and finance have figured it out, why should healthcare remain in the stone age? It’s time to prioritise digital transformation—because in healthcare, inefficiency isn’t just frustrating, it’s dangerous. Are we ready to make digital health a reality for all Nigerians?

80% of Healthcare Data Is Trapped in Silos. Here’s How to Unlock It. Did you know that 80% of healthcare data—clinical notes, imaging reports, patient histories—is unstructured, buried in formats like PDFs or free-text entries? This fragmentation delays diagnoses, increases costs, and risks patient safety. [Source: NCBI] But there’s hope. Below are 7 actionable strategies to break down data silos and build a truly connected healthcare ecosystem:    1. FHIR-First Approach for EHR Integration  Why it matters: FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) standardizes data exchange across systems.  Do this: Use FHIR APIs to connect hospitals, labs, and telehealth platforms.  Impact: Cleveland Clinic reduced duplicate testing by 30% post-FHIR adoption. 2. AI-Powered Data Unification  Why it matters: AI and NLP can map unstructured data (e.g., clinician notes) to structured formats.  Do this: Deploy tools like Google’s Care Studio to reconcile mismatched records.  Impact: AI-driven systems at Mayo Clinic cut patient matching errors by 40%. 3. Zero-Trust Security Architecture  Why it matters: 95% of healthcare breaches start with human error.  Do this: Combine RBAC, MFA, and end-to-end encryption.  Impact: Kaiser Permanente reduced breaches by 60% with zero-trust frameworks. 4. Blockchain-Backed HIEs  Why it matters: Centralized HIEs are vulnerable to tampering.  Do this: Build decentralized Health Information Exchanges with blockchain audit trails.  Impact: Estonia’s blockchain HIE ensures 100% data integrity across 1,000+ clinics. 5. IoMT & Wearable Integration  Why it matters: Remote devices generate 50% of healthcare data by 2025 (Deloitte).  Do this: Use edge computing to process wearable data locally before syncing to EHRs.  Impact: Johns Hopkins reduced ER visits by 25% via real-time remote monitoring. 6. Automated Compliance Engines  Why it matters: Manual compliance checks delay interoperability by weeks.  Do this: Deploy tools like Redox to auto-validate HIPAA/GDPR compliance.  Impact: Intermountain Healthcare accelerated integrations by 70%. 7. Patient-Led Data Ownership  Why it matters: 78% of patients want direct access to their records (ONC).  Do this: Build apps with granular consent controls (e.g., Apple HealthKit).  Impact: NHS England saw a 35% rise in patient engagement with shared records.    The Bottom Line:  Unstructured data isn’t just a tech problem—it’s a patient safety crisis. By adopting these strategies, we can turn fragmented data into actionable insights, reduce costs, and save lives.    Let’s stop talking about interoperability and start building it.   Repost if you believe connected healthcare is non-negotiable.  Comment with the #1 barrier your organization faces in achieving interoperability.    #HealthcareIT #DigitalHealth #Interoperability #FHIR #AIinHealthcare #PatientSafety #HealthTech

Transforming Healthcare, Elevating Patient Experience The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently released the "Digital Transformation Handbook for Primary Health Care: Optimizing Person-Centred Point of Service Systems," a comprehensive guide designed to assist countries in transitioning from traditional paper-based health records to integrated digital systems. This handbook provides step-by-step guidance for implementing Person-Centred Point of Service Systems (PCPOSS), aiming to enhance the delivery and accessibility of health services. It addresses two primary scenarios: - Transitioning from paper-only systems: Offering strategies to digitize existing paper records, facilitating a smoother shift to digital platforms. - Enhancing existing digital solutions: Providing insights on optimizing current digital infrastructures to create comprehensive, interoperable systems. Key components of the handbook include: - Requirements Gathering: Identifying the specific needs and functionalities required for effective digital transformation. - Workflow Mapping: Visualizing current processes to streamline and integrate them into digital formats. - Data Dictionary Creation: Establishing standardized definitions for data elements to ensure consistency and interoperability. - Decision-Support Logic Documentation: Developing algorithms and protocols to assist health workers in making informed decisions. The handbook emphasizes the importance of involving health workers—the end-users of these digital systems—in the development process to ensure the solutions are practical and user-friendly. By adopting these digital systems, health facilities can improve data utilization, enhance service delivery, and ultimately achieve better health outcomes. For healthcare leaders and professionals, this publication serves as a valuable resource to guide the digital transformation journey, offering practical tools and methodologies to optimize primary health care services. Access the full handbook here: https://lnkd.in/eEPwQZD8 

By reframing health care as a continuous presence in daily environments rather than a destination, we move closer to a model where proactive support, early detection, and emotional resilience are part of everyday life—not just clinical moments. The future of health care delivery relies on seamless integration across virtual, physical, and community settings to promote wellness and manage illness. It begins with tools like remote monitoring and diagnostics at home, encouraging early detection and preventive action. Workplaces and schools contribute through behavioral insights and nudges, fostering healthier habits. Community locations provide emotional and social support, while retail clinics and urgent care centers enable quick, accessible treatment. Traditional hospitals remain essential for acute interventions, but they are no longer the sole touchpoints. This ecosystem strengthens continuity and personalization of care. #Healthcare #SmartHealth #ConnectedCare #DigitalHealth #DigitalTransformation