Interoperability means different health systems, software, devices, and apps can send, receive, find, and combine patient health data without needing people to do it manually. In oncology, this is very important because patients often see many doctors\u2014like oncologists, radiologists, surgeons, and primary care providers\u2014as well as places like labs and pharmacies. Having integrated information helps doctors make timely treatment decisions and avoid repeating tests or making medication mistakes.<\/p>\n
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According to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), about 43% of non-federal acute care hospitals in the U.S. use all four interoperability functions regularly. This is a big jump from 28% in 2018. But this progress is not the same everywhere. Larger, city hospitals connected to health systems are more advanced (around 53%) than smaller, rural, or independent hospitals, which usually range between 22% and 38%. Community and rural oncology practices often face more challenges adopting new technologies.<\/p>\n
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Interoperable systems allow real-time sharing of patient data like test results, treatment plans, and medication history. Community oncology practices may use 10 to 15 different software programs for things like electronic health records (EHRs), appointment scheduling, inventory, and patient communication. These can grow to over 50 programs as services increase. Without proper interoperability, staff must spend extra time manually moving data, which can cause errors and affect patient safety.<\/p>\n
Community oncology practices have a hard job of managing costs, ease of technology use, and rules, while still giving good patient care. Many do not have IT experts on staff and find it expensive and complex to set up and keep interoperable systems running.<\/p>\n
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Many doctors still use old ways of communicating like fax machines, even though faxing is slow and less safe. About half of clinicians use fax every day. This shows that the new technology is not used as much as it could be yet.<\/p>\n
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Keeping data safe is also a big worry. Healthcare data breaches cost about $10 million per case, which is much more than most industries. Cancer data is very sensitive, so laws about privacy must be followed strictly. If data is not secure, patient information can be stolen and sold online at very high prices. That means security in interoperable technology is a must.<\/p>\n
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There is also a problem of “technology overload.” This happens when practices use many software programs without a clear plan. That can make work harder and waste money. Experts like Dr. Nini Wu say that practices need to check what systems they already have and make a clear strategy that matches their business. Anish Arora, a healthcare software expert, says it is important to pick technology that really helps the practice work better, not just based on the latest trends.<\/p>\n
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