Following the path of interoperability

Interoperability is the ability to share information between components (such as systems or devices) without it losing its meaning. This communication must guarantee the coherent interchange of data between departments, organizations, healthcare levels and regions, with the main objective of providing professionals with all the relevant information on their patients to ensure that the decision-making process occurs in a safe, efficient and effective way, while guaranteeing access to information regardless of where it is recorded. SISCAT is characterized by great diversity in terms of the systems, services and devices used by the different providers: this heterogeneity makes it necessary to work hard on a standardization that ensures that interoperability can be achieved between various agents and actors.

SISCAT interoperability Temperature Table: What information is (currently) exchanged electronically and with which institutions?

The TIC Salut Social Foundation has been analysing interoperability in its Trends Report for some years in order to evaluate the healthcare provider’s status with regard to the adoption of the norms and tools that allow this to be achieved. Since 2013, the use of both HL7 standards and LOINC and SNOMED CT international controlled vocabularies has steadily grown, to over 70% in the case of HL7, around 50% for SNOMED CT and about 36% for LOINC. This year’s data also shows a consolidation in the use of SNOMED CT not only for pathological anatomy but also in other areas such as allergies and immunizations. In terms of semantic interoperability, it is also worth mentioning the efforts made by providers to adapt to the use of CIM-10-MC / SCP, a requirement that has a high impact on both information systems and processes and working methodologies. In this respect, more than 60% of respondents reported that they are getting prepared for the use of the newly revised classification. With regard to the use of integration engines, this has already reached 60%, meaning that over half of the centres already have the tools necessary to standardize the messaging used in their communications with third parties.

Data from the Report confirms the steady rise in the use of SISCAT standards, where every year more centres use them to exchange information with third parties, either through HC3 or IS3. This is also evident in the so-called “SISCAT interoperability Temperature Table”, which shows what type of information is exchanged electronically and with which institutions, emphasizing the importance of the exchange in order that professionals can report on all their activities and the other institutions and levels of care can take advantage of the information to favour patient welfare.

The efforts made by providers in this type of adoption affect the efficiency, security and decision-making in the health care process, ensuring professionals have the information they need at any time within their reach.

The efforts made by providers in this type of adoption affect the efficiency, security and decision-making in the health care process, ensuring professionals have the information they need at any time within their reach.

NB: all figures correspond to data collected in the 2017 Tendencies Report survey. The figures do not necessarily provide a representative description of the degree of fulfilment by the centres, as they are inevitably differ.