Procuring Interoperability: Achieving High-Quality, Connected, and Person-Centered Care (2018)
Chapter: Summary of the Technical Supplement
SUMMARY OF THE TECHNICAL SUPPLEMENT
The five priorities for action described in the main text of the NAM special publication outline key steps organizations can take to advance the adoption of interoperability within the health care industry. This Technical Supplement complements the main text by describing a tangible approach by which health care organizations can define requirements and align their purchasing strategies to achieve system-wide interoperability.
The Technical Supplement is divided into four sections. Section 1 describes an overarching framework and implementation strategy for purchasing interoperable systems. It provides a step-by-step procurement specification process for organizations to follow when purchasing interoperable technology and then establishes guidance for making procurement decisions at each interoperability tier.
Each of the succeeding sections builds on the concepts in Section 1 by providing additional detail, examples, or case studies. Section 2 describes an example approach commonly used in systems engineering to identify priority interoperability requirements through the use of an N-squared diagram, a tool for cataloguing and prioritizing complex interactions of software, hardware, and people. Section 3 takes the procurement specification process one step further by providing examples of interoperability specification language, and finally, Section 4 describes two relevant case studies from nonhealth care industries that have tackled similar interoperability challenges.
Adopting a systematic and aligned approach to procurement across the industry enables the purchasing power of participating institutions to align, resulting in a market transformation—one where interoperability becomes inherent within health care technology. Health care organizations must embrace and reward those suppliers who are willing to demonstrate the principles of interoperability and openness. This Technical Supplement provides tools and terminology intended to assist facilities with that goal.
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