What re the challenges of interoperability between EMR and EHR?
As crucial as interoperability is, it is fraught with difficulties -
1. Legacy Systems from the Past
Due to compatibility issues, healthcare organisations utilising ancient legacy systems will find it difficult to integrate diverse apps. To attain the requisite compatibility for interoperability software, they would need to modernise old systems.
2. Safety
Integrating numerous software programmes raises concerns about the security of sensitive medical data. Each application would have different security procedures and standards, and merging them could put the data at risk.
3. Data File Formats
At a hospital, different software systems designed for different purposes would have varying information formats. When these systems are integrated, the differences in data formats may constitute a barrier to interoperability because the data sent across systems may not be in the same format.
4. Cost
While large hospitals may be able to link their apps, smaller clinics with less resources may encounter significant financial barriers to interoperability. Many small and medium-sized clinics may be discouraged from attaining interoperability due to the costs required in integrating technologies.
