Interoperability Disadvantages

According to Wikipedia “interoperability is a characteristic of a product or system, whose interfaces are completely understood, to work with other products or systems, at present or future, in either implementation or access, without any restrictions”. IEEE standard computer glossaries define interoperability as “the ability of two or more systems or components to exchange information and to use the information that has been exchanged (New York, NY: 1990). HL7’s definition of interoperability starts with the IEEE definition, then adds a couple of subtypes of interoperability that further distinguish between exchange and use. It defines functional interoperability as the capability to reliably exchange information without error and semantic

Without system interoperability, employee productivity can be hindered, patient discharge times can skyrocket, and hard-earned IT dollars can go wasted. This can be directly attributed to the use of outdated, non-integrated systems for delivering patient care. It’s clear that system interoperability is a must for the healthcare sector.
People who have chronic illnesses benefit greatly from the easy access to medical records through interoperability. These types of illnesses generally require multiple physicians and specialists. Therefore, it is crucial for providers to immediately access electronic health records documented by another clinician in order to improve and quicken treatment for the chronically ill.
It is clear that interoperability improves overall healthcare. However, it has its own set of challenges. A primary goal of interoperability in healthcare is consistency and standardization, which means all parties involved agree upon a set of standards. In some cases, the standards are general, which can lead to multiple interpretations. Serious medical errors can occur if certain standards are not adhered to correctly. Standards must be less general and more specific from the

However, interoperability within the context of healthcare is yet to be realized. Thus, the lack of interoperability amongst healthcare systems further strengthens the information silos that exist in today’s paper-based medical files, which results in proprietary control over health information. This has resulted in increased healthcare cost, declining quality of patients care, and the inability to integrate patients’ information across healthcare