| Do you stand in front of a Baskin Robbins ice | | | | how to integrate healthcare applications is a little |
| cream case trying to figure out which flavor of | | | | like choosing your flavor of ice cream and its |
| ice cream to choose? Are there so many flavors | | | | presentation. It is highly dependent on your mood. |
| that it takes more time to choose your flavor | | | | Do you want a softer, more flexible interface |
| then to eat it? Where am I going with this ice | | | | presentation that provides conversion of one |
| cream questioning, you ask, when you were | | | | product's interface to another? Or do you wish to |
| hoping to hear about EMR integration? Well with all | | | | have a more solid, less flexible presentation? We |
| of the different Electronic Medical Records | | | | would argue that you need one scoop of both; a |
| systems available on the market today – | | | | softer scoop of integration that allows for |
| over 100 of them and counting – it is | | | | interoperability of data between disparate |
| apparent that there are as many flavors of EMR | | | | healthcare systems and a solid scoop that allows |
| systems and EMR integration points as there are | | | | for compatibility and security with a published |
| flavors of Baskin Robbins ice cream. Additionally, | | | | interface standard such as HL7. We think that the |
| there are as many standards to connect | | | | key is for the interface to be built such that is it |
| applications, HL7, HL7 Clinical Document | | | | compatible with a standard and provides data |
| Architecture, Continuity of Care Record, EHR-Lab | | | | security but still interoperable with other products |
| Interoperability, and Connectivity Specification, to | | | | that meet the same standard. In other words we |
| name a few, as there are toppings. And finally | | | | need to build connectivity between systems such |
| there are various different ways to serve up | | | | that the doctor or users do not need to do |
| integration ice cream – firm, like in a cone, or | | | | anything special in order for the systems to talk |
| flexible, like in a paper cup. So like picking an ice | | | | to one another. Less is more in this case. |
| cream from the Baskin Robbins case, how does | | | | Ultimately, here is where the rubber meets the |
| one know the right flavor of integration to choose | | | | road; or rather the ice cream meets the cone. As |
| when dealing with disparate healthcare | | | | a healthcare practice, you will need to have a |
| systems?the EMR system and your other | | | | method of building interoperability between |
| applications, such as billing or prescribing, are | | | | systems that provides you some flexibility but still |
| already built and being used elsewhere, then you | | | | meets integration standards and security. With all |
| are a long way down the path to choosing the | | | | of the confusion out there around interoperability |
| right integration flavor. | | | | (good grief – the healthcare industry can't |
| So go ahead and pick your integration ice cream. | | | | even agree on acronym usage much less |
| Just be warned that if you don't choose carefully | | | | interoperability standards), we suggest that you |
| you may choose a flavor that you don't like and it | | | | choose an EMR system/provider that is |
| may end up leaving a bad taste in your mouth. | | | | knowledgeable in integration work and has |
| | | | | protocols that are used consistently. |
| At UFC, we believe that the process of choosing | | | | |