At this point, no one can pinpoint exactly what form interoperability will take in the future. While we’re seeing a lot of progress and momentum, there’s also quite a bit of confusion as interoperability networks and methods remain in flux. The important thing for health care organizations to do is to take the plunge despite any confusion and just get started. We shouldn’t let perfection get in the way of progress.
No homogenous structure or network is going to emerge overnight; rather, interoperability work and developments will be happening in parallel. A lot of people are working on the interoperability issue at the same time, and no one-size interoperability solution will fit the needs of all. For accountable care organizations (ACOs) to operate effectively, the ACO will need to deploy HIE functionality. At the same time, states and regions are deploying HIEs. Even decentralized, peer-to-peer exchange networks are beginning to emerge.
All of these separate players and operators will converge somehow in the future, but no one need get caught up in the details of that convergence right now. It will happen organically over time. Over time, network infrastructures may be rolled up or consolidated, but without tangible efforts now, that day will never come.
Connected health will be in a good place seven to eight years from now. For the moment, there is a ton of momentum, and the progress won’t stop anytime soon.
