The Importance of Inter-Operability for EMR Systems
Posted Oct 30 2008 3:22pm
As a physician, you have just purchased an EMR system for your practice and see ahead of you a non-ending process of change in your practice. However, as many physicians have made the point, unless you are able to share information between systems easily and efficiently, one still ends up practicing on an electronic island.
In my mind, this inter-operability issue is the key issue holding back the widespread adoption of EMR, but where does one start? Current investment in Canada has focused on the big infrastructure components - large hospital and regional systems. There has been little work to date in Canada enforcing standards for inter-operability for vendors of physician EMR systems.
How can we as clinicians highlight the importance of creating systems that are inter-operable? Are you aware of initiatives in your province or region that could be more widely broadcast? Who has had success in this area to date?
If you would like to comment on this issue, please click on the 'Comments' link below.
As a physician, you have just purchased an EMR system for your practice and see ahead of you a non-ending process of change in your practice. However, as many physicians have made the point, unless you are able to share information between systems easily and efficiently, one still ends up practicing on an electronic island.
In my mind, this inter-operability issue is the key issue holding back the widespread adoption of EMR, but where does one start? Current investment in Canada has focused on the big infrastructure components - large hospital and regional systems. There has been little work to date in Canada enforcing standards for inter-operability for vendors of physician EMR systems.
How can we as clinicians highlight the importance of creating systems that are inter-operable? Are you aware of initiatives in your province or region that could be more widely broadcast? Who has had success in this area to date?
If you would like to comment on this issue, please click on the 'Comments' link below.