3 ms·

I just came here to say: Major credit to standards like HL7 (and other projects for ontologies like LOINC and SNOMED) HL7 and FHIR are a major step in interope

I just came here to say: Major credit to standards like HL7 (and other projects for ontologies like LOINC and SNOMED) HL7 and FHIR are a major step in interoperability for health, and they should not be taken for granted. I've worked with integration projects with EHR (Electronic health record) Systems, and a lot of hospitals still have proprietary formats for exchanging data with limited documentation. If you ever work on any health related system, consider starting from those standards!

prostheticvamp 6y ago
As someone who was involved in the evolution of HL7 from the policy/medical side, I can tell you: EMR systems lock us (healthcare systems) into proprietary formats to make migration to new clients difficult; likewise, we don’t (didn’t) push for interoperability because exporting data to other healthcare systems cost us more than it benefited us (we didn’t fight it, we just weren’t gonna spend our money to make it happen). HL7 and other interoperability tech only emerged because CMS reps made their way to -a lot- of conferences and, with varying levels of bluntness, said “find a way to improve interoperability on your own, or you’ll see it show up in federal regs 12 months from now.” This is a change that came from active regulators doing their jobs correctly, in spite of the active efforts of the tech industry and the indifference of the hospital industry. So, I rarely say this but, thank you CMS.
- WrtCdEvrydy 6y ago
  > only emerged because CMS reps made their way to -a lot- of conferences and, with varying levels of bluntness I mean, to be honest, it makes sense... locked platforms are just death.. especially if you can't get your shit off it when it shuts down.
- fludlight 6y ago
  What's CMS? Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services? https://www.cms.gov/ https://www.cms.gov/
  - spenuke 6y ago
    Yes.
- atmosx 6y ago
  Amazing! Go regulators, thanks for sharing, stories like these give me hope :-)

prostheticvamp 6y ago

As someone who was involved in the evolution of HL7 from the policy/medical side, I can tell you: EMR systems lock us (healthcare systems) into proprietary formats to make migration to new clients difficult; likewise, we don’t (didn’t) push for interoperability because exporting data to other healthcare systems cost us more than it benefited us (we didn’t fight it, we just weren’t gonna spend our money to make it happen). HL7 and other interoperability tech only emerged because CMS reps made their way to -a lot- of conferences and, with varying levels of bluntness, said “find a way to improve interoperability on your own, or you’ll see it show up in federal regs 12 months from now.” This is a change that came from active regulators doing their jobs correctly, in spite of the active efforts of the tech industry and the indifference of the hospital industry. So, I rarely say this but, thank you CMS.

WrtCdEvrydy 6y ago
> only emerged because CMS reps made their way to -a lot- of conferences and, with varying levels of bluntness I mean, to be honest, it makes sense... locked platforms are just death.. especially if you can't get your shit off it when it shuts down.
fludlight 6y ago
What's CMS? Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services? https://www.cms.gov/ https://www.cms.gov/
- spenuke 6y ago
  Yes.
atmosx 6y ago
Amazing! Go regulators, thanks for sharing, stories like these give me hope :-)