Seven topics to understand as you advocate for improved interoperability between your blood bank and the larger health system
The complexity of the healthcare ecosystem presents both challenges and opportunities for ongoing improvement. Healthcare works optimally when all stakeholders, including the blood bank, are aligned around an engaged patient. With interoperability in the healthcare organization and the ongoing analysis of data available for continual improvement, that goal can be realized. Continue reading to learn more about improving interoperability in your organization.
Supporting coordinated care across the continuum
By providing full access to patient data across care settings you minimize risk. Pre-existing conditions, previous medical or surgical procedures, and medications are critical factors that should be accounted for to design the present and ongoing treatment plans for patients to deliver the most successful outcomes.
Making this information easily accessible fuels predictive data and further enhances whole-person care.
Patient access to data
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) has introduced requirements that ensure patients have rights and access to their personal health data. While a patient may not be requesting information directly from a blood bank, that patient-centric data sent to the EMR from the blood bank will need to be available for review.
Making such data available to the patient is a major focus for compliance across software vendors and hospital IT departments. Requiring seamless communication with EMRs and ancillary systems, both inside and outside the hospital.
Enhancing positive patient outcomes
By connecting healthcare providers through interoperable systems, we can gain a more accurate picture of the patient’s condition. As the patient progresses throughout their healthcare journey, the information available at each touch point in the continuum will help assure the patient receives quality care.
Reducing medical errors
A Johns Hopkins study found that approximately 9.5 percent of deaths in the U.S. each year can be attributed to medical error. This puts medical error in the top three causes of death, just behind cancer and respiratory disease (the study was conducted prior to COVID-19.) Driving data-transparency through interoperability can help reduce medical error.
Using FHIR standards to improve collaboration
Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) is a standard for exchanging electronic health records that uses a modern web-based suite of technologies. Solutions like WellSky Transfusion are using FHIR to enhance interoperability and meet the ONC requirement to provide patients access to their data, all without compromising the functionality of the application.
Improving outcomes with quality care
Interoperability contributes to three other aspects of the quadruple aim (outcomes, cost efficiency, patient experience, provider experience.)
Electronic communication transmits patient information and results seamlessly, reducing provider frustration. It also simplifies patient management, improves the patient experience, and provides potential cost savings to the organization through greater efficiency.
Positioning patient data as an asset
Healthcare data derived from information management provides a significant asset to the enterprise. In addition to the predictive modeling, analytics combine data to provide critical visibility to the clinical stakeholders managing patients.
With analytics derived from across the spectrum, providers have a much broader scope of information gathered from multiple caregivers to achieve seamless care for patients.
Conclusion
The ability to meaningfully share and analyze patient data is paramount to improve care outcomes and drive financial performance. Understanding the overall impact of interoperability to your organization can help your blood bank as you advocate for improved communication between your department and the larger health system.
To learn more, click here to download our white paper: The role of interoperability in your blood bank.