Interoperability

One breakthrough that has helped is the ability of ambient AI to document what's happening in the room, says Regina Wysocki, senior informatics program manager at Lone Star Communications.

MetroHealth is finishing a years-long project to consolidate and archive images so that they are available to providers and patients who should have access, says Dr. David Kaelber, the health system's chief health informatics officer.

Concord Technologies CEO William Cavanaugh said data is one of healthcare's primary challenges, as it generates roughly two-thirds of the world's data.

Harmony Healthcare IT CEO Tom Liddell said automating clinical registry workflows was a natural step for the company due to its deep experience with artificial intelligence.

The HIMSS Immunization Integration Program has the ultimate goal to improve vaccine coverage, says Office Practicum's Chris Gibson and Dr. Rich Szabo.

Epic has built an API to automatically connect the VA database with non-VA hospitals, work that was previously done manually, says Matthew McCay, MultiCare Health System's veteran advocacy manager, and Epic's Brett Barker.

Ten years ago, providers were terrified to share data with health plans for fear of giving up their relationship with the patient and what payers would do with the information and now interoperability is having a favorable impact on patient care, says PointClickCare's Brian Drozdowicz.

Starting Jan. 1, 2026, payers must send prior authorization decisions within 7 days and expedited decisions within 72 hours.

Joshua Wymer, with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, talks about the digital health indicator and the opportunity to advance interoperability in the state during the HIMSS25 Public Health Data Modernization Forum.

Interoperability has come a long way, but information exchange between providers barely scratches the surface of what can be done and how data can be used more effectively, says 2025 Changemaker Award recipient Dr. Steven Lane, CMO at Health Gorilla and a physician who says he was the first to exchange patient data using the Carequality Interoperability Framework.