Interoperability: Are We Letting Future Generations Down?

There’s little arguing that drastic improvement to healthcare data interoperability is necessary. It’s not just electronic health records, either, but also the range of technologies spanning from personal medical devices to massive information systems.

Health networks and physician practices have the most to gain from an interoperable ecosystem and, it follows, the most to lose if it doesn’t go right.

But one could argue that American patients and taxpayers stand to gain or lose just as much — especially the next generation of patients and taxpayers, the kids, tweens, teens and 20-somethings who for the most part have not known a world without the benefits and efficiency of the Internet and a laptop, tablet or smartphone.