Interoperability is key for fixing ‘biggest problems’ in long-term care: experts

Increasing interoperability has the potential to help long-term care providers address some of their worst pain points, experts pointed out at a McKnight’s Online Forum session Tuesday. Ongoing partnerships between the federal government and businesses are pushing toward creating seamless and accurate information sharing between networks — driving efficiency, improving care outcomes and reducing burnout for care workers — predicted speaker Micky Tripathi, PhD, national coordinator for health information technology at the US Department of Health and Human Services. “It’s such a critical part that is overlooked in terms of how important it is and what the burdens are across the entire system,” Tripathi said, “especially on those LTPAC [long-term and post-acute care] providers who are at the receiving end of this deluge of information.” Tripathi described ongoing government efforts to create a “nationwide network of networks” — the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA). Providers signing onto the agreement would be able to receive streamlined and accurate information from other providers all across the country — reducing paperwork and admin time while also ensuring only the most relevant data is shared.