DeSalvo Strikes Interoperability Chord At AHIMA Conference

ONC chief Karen DeSalvo, MD, promised an audience of AHIMA members that the government would act "fast into interoperability." She drew applause when she added, "We cannot wait for 10 years to get this done." DeSalvo emphasized that every other industry has already achieved interoperability.

The message resonated with the 2013 AHIMA conference audience whose work is dedicated to making sure healthcare data is accurate and secure. In their work, they have seen up close the difference accurate, accessible data makes to patient care. So when DeSalvo said, "It must be plug-and-play. It's not helpful if it just sits there idle," the audience was on the same page...

DeSalvo was not the lone ONC voice to carry the message of interoperability to AHIMA. In a separate session on Monday, ONC Chief Scientist Doug Fridsma told the audience: "Interoperability, defined as the sharing and use of information, is critical to achieving successful health outcomes for patients. However, interoperability is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. ONC's vision is a health IT ecosystem where different users will have different uses for health IT."