The current healthcare technology landscape is fragmented, inefficient, and ultimately fails to meet the needs of healthcare consumers. With over 2,000 different Electronic Health Records and 400 payer systems that struggle to communicate, the cost of maintaining proprietary, closed systems has become unsustainable. As consumer expectations rise and regulatory pressures mount, the healthcare industry is evolving to where open standards are not just a technological nice-to-have, but a strategic imperative for survival and innovation.
A recent HIStalk webinar titled “Innovating the Consumer Experience Beyond the EMR with Open Standards” brought together four industry leaders to tackle a critical challenge: the need for open standards in healthcare. The panel included Ryan Howells, Principal at Leavitt Partners and Program Manager of The CARIN Alliance; David LaBine, Vice President of Software Engineering at Providence Digital Innovation Group; Kristen Valdes, Founder and CEO of b.well Connected Health; and Robin Monks, Executive Vice President of Technology at Praia Health. They discussed the systemic issues impacting healthcare integration.
Here are five key takeaways that demonstrate why open standards have become a strategic necessity:
1. Solving Healthcare’s Fragmentation Problem
The technical challenge of fragmented data in the current healthcare ecosystem has created a significant problem for healthcare consumer experience. Open standards represent a fundamental shift from a system-centric to a healthcare consumer-centric approach. By creating universal protocols for data exchange, these standards enable healthcare providers to see a holistic view of patient health. Imagine a world where a patient’s complete health history, from emergency room visits to preventive care, as well as wearable device data and genetic information, can be seamlessly accessed and understood, regardless of the original source system.
2. Putting Identity and Consent First
The current healthcare login experience is broken. Healthcare consumers often juggle multiple accounts across different healthcare providers, creating frustration and barriers to accessing their own health information. Open standards like OIDC eliminate the need for multiple accounts, reducing friction, and giving individuals true control over their health data. This approach addresses critical privacy concerns while simultaneously making health information more accessible. Consumers can now choose which providers or applications can access their information, when, and for what purpose, all with a level of granularity and security that was previously impossible.
3. Delivering Tangible Business Value
The financial implications of open standards extend far beyond simple cost savings. These standards create new economic opportunities by:
- Reducing integration and maintenance costs
- Enabling faster development of innovative health solutions
- Creating new revenue streams through more flexible service models
- Supporting the transition to value-based care
- Allowing healthcare organizations to become more agile and responsive to healthcare consumer needs
Organizations that embrace open standards can transform their technology from a cost center to a strategic advantage, driving operational efficiency and creating new pathways for engagement.
4. Aligning with Regulatory Trends
Regulatory bodies are increasingly recognizing the importance of interoperability and individual access. Open standards are becoming more than just a recommendation; they’re becoming a requirement. This shift is driven by:
- Growing healthcare consumer demands for transparency and access
- Government initiatives to improve healthcare efficiency
- The need to support more comprehensive and coordinated care
- Efforts to reduce healthcare costs and eliminate redundant processes
Healthcare organizations that proactively adopt these standards will be better positioned to meet current and future regulatory requirements, avoiding potential penalties and staying ahead of compliance challenges.
5. A Practical Roadmap for Implementation
Adopting open standards is not about an overnight transformation, but rather a strategic, incremental approach. Key steps include:
- Conducting a comprehensive audit of current systems and integration challenges
- Developing a clear vision for interoperability
- Identifying high-impact use cases for initial implementation
- Building cross-functional teams that understand both technical and individual care perspectives
- Creating a culture of innovation and continuous improvement
The most successful organizations view this as a journey of continuous improvement, not a one-time technical upgrade.
In Conclusion
The path forward is clear, but it requires a fundamental shift in thinking. Healthcare organizations must move beyond viewing technology as a cost center and start seeing it as a strategic advantage. Open standards are not just technical interoperability. They provide a framework for consumer-centric care, operational efficiency, and continuous innovation.
There is a need to ask critical questions: Do we want to control our own data? How can we create a seamless, consumer-focused experience? The technology exists, the standards are established, and the potential is immense.
This is reimagining healthcare delivery. By embracing open standards, organizations can reduce integration costs, unlock new business models, and ultimately provide better, more responsive care. The barriers are not technological, but organizational, and they can be overcome with vision, collaboration, and a commitment to putting healthcare consumers first.
The future of healthcare is open, interconnected, and patient-focused. It’s time to move faster, work smarter, and create real value for everyone involved. Choosing to embrace open standards and the transformative potential they represent is a crucial first step forward.
