5 key concepts to advance your EHR interoperability strategy
Post-acute care (PAC) providers have historically been in a position where their needs were underrepresented in development of a nationwide interoperability roadmap, but the truth is they need access to more advanced technology now more than ever. New research reveals a significant gap between what referring providers want and what PAC providers are prepared or equipped to deliver when it comes to interoperability.
While 99% of referral sources reported that they are likely to change to PAC providers who can support their interoperability, 65% of PAC providers are less than fully satisfied with their EHR vendor’s ability to meet these expectations.
Furthermore, both PAC providers and their referral sources have gaps in their understanding of what true interoperability means, with many still clinging to the traditional means of sending and receiving referrals via phone, fax, and other outdated modalities. This results in serious frustrations between both sides of the referral equation — including phone tag, the inability to see how patients are progressing, and the lack of timeliness in performing services.
The path to interoperability
There are steps organizations can take to adopt a more advanced approach to interoperability, ultimately leading to saving time and improving your business. Here’s how:
1. Move toward a common definition of true interoperability across care settings.
True interoperability requires not just technical specifications and integrations, but instead requires engagement of multiple stakeholders to ensure the data being exchanged can be used, and the workflows represented meet the needs of providers and patients across the spectrum of care.
“Having an EHR such as MatrixCare that lets us share information with the doctors and with the hospital has been very important. This degree of visibility has allowed Iredell to decrease hospital encounters for our palliative care patients by 52% over six months.”
–Sarah Kivett, BSN, RN, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County
2. Investigate the maturity of your EHR’s interop capabilities.
PAC providers must thoroughly inspect the capabilities of their technology vendors to ensure it’s the best to meet their needs due to the rising importance in attracting and retaining referral sources. To remain competitive and meet the growing demands of referral partners, EHR vendors must provide the proper platform for seamless flow of data and documentation between your business and the business of your referral partners.
The Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) has accelerated the adoption of new standards, such as the API standard called Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) that certified EHR vendors must be able to support going forward. How is your vendor equipped to move forward and take advantage of these requirements?
3. Evaluate the financial implications of your interoperability strategy.
The lack of interoperability strategies and technologies among PAC providers and their referral partners contribute to high care delivery costs, patients falling through the cracks, unnecessary readmissions, and draining profit margins due to a lack of automation and manual processes. These are impactful challenges for both referral sources and PAC providers.
4. Leverage your interoperability strategy to differentiate your business.
Being able to accept patient data and physician documentation electronically into your system and being able to share important patient progress notes directly with the referring physician can be a significant differentiator for your organization. Not only does it make your organization easier to do business with, but it also enables you to participate as a valuable player in the emerging at-risk payment models, like bundled payments.
“Patient-centric interoperability is the key to survival in today’s healthcare environment.”
–Deborah Wesley, RN, BN, MSN, MHA, CEO, and Vice President of Clinical Services, Addison County Home Health & Hospice
5. Stay informed of the trends that are evolving around interoperability in healthcare.
PAC providers who can put their businesses on a path to interoperability maturity are the ones who will survive and thrive throughout the next decade. It starts with evaluating where your organization is and where it needs to be — based on the expectations of your referral sources.
Ready to advance your approach to interoperability? Connect with us today and we’ll show you how.
Nick Knowlton
Nick Knowlton is the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives for ResMed, parent company of Brightree and MatrixCare. He leads the company’s interoperability initiatives, amongst other areas. Nick brings more than 20 years of business experience across sales, marketing, product and strategy roles for technology and health information technology businesses. Prior to joining the ResMed family of brands, Nick ran strategic initiatives for Greenway Health, a market leader in the physician practice EHR space.
Nick is extremely active in the post-acute industry -- he is the chair of the board of directors of CommonWell Health Alliance and is on the board of HCTAA and PDHCA, which are affiliates of NAHC.
Nick has a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Biochemistry from the University of Notre Dame.
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