Interoperability Coding Systems and Health Information Exchange (HIE)

00:01 Now that we understand language HIS speak, we need to know how they exchange the data.

00:06 The first concept we need to tackle is Health Information Exchange or HIE.

00:11 HIE is the process that makes the electronic sharing of patient health information between different healthcare providers possible.

00:18 Now, there are three main types of HIE: First one is Direct Exchange: This allows healthcare professionals to send and receive patient information electronically between care providers.

00:30 This method is often used for sending referrals or discharge summaries directly to another care provider.

00:37 Query-Based Exchange: Provides healthcare professionals with the ability to find and/or request information on a patient from other care providers, often used for unplanned care.

00:49 Consumer Mediated Exchange: Allows patients to aggregate and control the use of their health information among care providers.

00:57 Each type of HIE use standards to facilitate the exchange process and achieve interoperability.

01:05 Interoperability is the capability of different information systems, devices, or applications to connect and communicate in a coordinated, secure, and efficient manner to The reason they do this is to provide timely access to patient health information.

01:21 It's a broad concept that applies to the entire healthcare industry and involves technology, policies, and stakeholders agreeing on standards, protections, and practices for sharing information.

01:34 To achieve interoperability we have the FHIR, or Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources enters the scene. FHIR is a standard for electronic health data exchange designed to support interoperability.

01:52 This standard has been developed and maintained by HL7.

01:55 HL7, or Health Level Seven.

01:58 An organization that provides a framework and standards for the exchange, integration, sharing, and retrieval of electronic health information.

02:07 To understand FHIR, consider a patient visiting a new clinic.

02:11 Standards like FHIR make it possible for their Electronic Health Record (EHR) to be shared and understood at the new clinic, providing continuity of care.

02:21 In this process, the EHR might contain ICD-10 codes specifying diagnoses, SNOMED CT codes detailing clinical terms relevant to their conditions, and LOINC codes identifying laboratory tests and their results.

02:39 These coding systems, working together with the FHIR, ensure that critical health data is not only transferred, but is transferred in a way that makes it universally understandable, regardless of the specific system or device used by the clinic.

02:54 On top of everything we have discussed today, we have to think of AI and machine learning.

02:59 Imagine a healthcare analyst faced with thousands of patient records.

03:03 AI and machine learning algorithms can help predict which patients might be at risk for certain conditions, allowing for timely intervention.

03:12 It sounds like our next big leap in healthcare attention… Intrigued? Then, hold on tight because we're just scratching the surface of this exciting world, and there's a lot more to explore! Bye!