Many health systems are like mazes of data. Because they are not interconnected, they fail to ensure the level of care and cost efficiency they can potentially provide, which is why interoperability is now in the spotlight.
Semantic interoperability in health systems can leverage data in a standardized way as they break down and share information. For example, two systems can recognize terminology, medication symbols, and other nuances while exchanging data automatically, without human intervention. When all these systems are interoperable, they become a single integrated unit in which health data flows back and forth and communicate seamlessly to share and interpret information between each other.
This article provides some examples of interoperability in healthcare and how interoperability will shape healthcare information systems in the future.