Week 7

By: Connor Ledbetter

 The topic for health informatics this week pertained to information exchanges and the need for the seamless flow of data from one provider or location to another, especially amongst those within the same health system.  I am not a techy (I've never even had a twitter account) nor do I claim to be, and for that reason I cannot speak to the specifics of data exchanges, or the technical difficulties that may arise. It is with that in mind, that I will reflect upon the conversation this week from a non-technical approach and some of my views as to why the need for data exchange has arisen.

First of all, I believe that the need for the smooth sharing of information from one organization to another has arisen the shift to a more consumer focus in the healthcare industry. As healthcare increasingly focuses on patients as consumers, we continue to identify pain points (no pun intended) for patients in the process of healthcare delivery and alleviate those pains. Patients being required to fill out the same paper work at every visit, or every time that they walk into a healthcare facility is one of those pain points. To make matters worse, patients often compare the healthcare industry to other industries that are far more advanced in capturing information and relaying throughout their organization to the point of completely understanding customers preferences and expectations.
Additionally, I believe the issue has arisen internally within the healthcare industry as of late due to the meaningful use funds that many healthcare organizations received through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Up to that point some organizations had EMRs but many still operated with paper forms. However, through meaningful use funds, many organizations made the shift to electronics health records and for the first time, it became possible to share information from one organization to the next electronically.

I believe the need for increased retention and sharing of data through exchanges in the healthcare sector is not going away. This is something that consumers will increasingly call for and organizations will move to address.