Task force summarizes barriers, mulls recommendations to improve EHR data sharing

Patient care coordination is the "key driver" to data sharing, but there are challenges to accomplishing that goal, according to the Health IT Policy Committee's task force on clinical, technical, organizational and financial barriers to interoperability.

In its Aug. 25 meeting, the task force summarized information from hearings held earlier in the month regarding obstacles to electronic health record interoperability. Some of the major barriers to interoperability include the cost to interface, the lack of standards, the lack of infrastructure and platforms for interoperability, and the lack of a forum to pull together stakeholders.

While the motivation for providers to share data to coordinate care and participate in new payment models is pretty clear, providers are still stuck in "silos." The incentives also need to be aligned for both providers and vendors, since vendors will follow their customers.