MEDITECH Traverse – Centric to your Interoperability Roadmap
By: John Valutkevich
By now, you’ve become familiar with MEDITECH Traverse and understand all the promise it holds for streamlining the way in which your organization exchanges data. At its core are technology platforms based on the HL7 Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resource (FHIR) which truly supports the exchange and aggregation of data from differing patient care systems. Over a decade in the making, FHIR is no longer the future of interoperability, it is the present and is being leveraged via ever increasing use cases. Traverse is harnessing this power to bring an unprecedented amount of new information into Expanse workflows.
Accordingly, Traverse impacts your interoperability strategy, in a good way! No matter what stage of adoption of Traverse you are in, LIVE, implementing or planning on adoption, the impacts are many. Have you assessed them all and accounted for them in your interoperability roadmap?
As an analogy, recall when you adopted a wireless router or a new smart TV. You were able to address the vast twist tied bunch of cables under your desk or behind your TV and neaten things up. During that process, did you trace each wire and determine what would stay and what could be retired with the adoption of the new wireless technology? In a similar fashion, with the opportunity that is Traverse, the time is now to re-examine your enterprise interoperability strategy from a few different perspectives:
How up to date is your inventory of interfaces?
What workflows rely on interfaced data today?
What areas of engagement could be enhanced through new data availability opportunities?
What interfaces or appliances can be sunsetted?
What is your compliance risk?
Sounds complicated and it can be, but with the right guidance, planning and support, an organization can offer its stakeholders a dynamic interoperability environment well positioned to keep up with requirements and workflow improvements. As with any good organizational policy, with its roots in security, your organization may have a blueprint of its connectivity topology. One that is the main reference point for your interoperability roadmap. This blueprint should account for all the interfaces, both with varying software solutions as well as with devices, organization wide. It likely is complex given the breadth of interfaces that are present even with a robust, integrated solution that is Expanse allowing seamless patient care from entry to exit. Interoperability requires organizational agility; an updated roadmap is paramount. Understanding what interoperability solutions are in place, and that includes every point of connectivity, is the first step.
Since interoperability is dynamic and opportunities abound, conducting a gap analysis is next in order of operation. One with milestones baked in that achieve increased data sharing, workflow and financial efficiencies as well as continued compliance. With Traverse as a centric component, your organization can address many of these milestones, but one must acknowledge the many solutions that will play complimentary roles whether legacy or other. Assessment of these systems and their workflow impact ensures that your interoperability strategy is fluid and able to take on a new “App”, device or in many cases, another provider group or patient population. Conversely, what inefficiencies can be uncovered and what methods of exchange can be upgraded or outright replaced further strengthening your interoperability posture.
As with any effort to sustain, upgrade and manage technology solutions, be sure to acknowledge the compliance aspects. Specifically, as it relates to interoperability and an organization’s efforts to upgrade and enhance information exchange. It is important to understand that even as ASTP is currently reassessing its efforts, the 21st Century Cures Act and its final rules, coupled with many state regulations require the exchange of patient data. There is an applied law for healthcare providers, health IT developers and health information exchanges (HIEs) to ensure there are no unreasonable restrictions by technology or policy in the sharing of data. This is commonly known as Info Blocking and enforcement is occurring with monetary penalties being applied. The latest figures from December 2024 place healthcare providers with 5 times as many claims against them for info blocking patient access to data versus a technology provider. With Traverse, and its solution provider Health Gorilla being a recognized Qualified Health Information Network (QHIN), part of the risk is adverted. As is the theme throughout, the whole blueprint is fair game, driving home the point that technology adoption requires good policy review and an accounting for any points of risk that hinder exchange.
In summary, the ever-changing requirements for better patient data exchange will continue to arise from new technology use cases and regulatory influence. Key to implementation is to ensure that new data opportunities for data ingestion are a good fit technically and financially, yet do not adversely affect end user adoption. Addressing these subjects requires a dynamic interoperability strategy and roadmap. MEDITECH Traverse is a great solution to build from and harness the ability to bring the most robust data sets into the patient care continuum that is Expanse. When positioned as a pillar within a well-developed interoperability roadmap, your organization will remain agile enough to enjoy the ride that is interoperability.
To learn more, register for the “Interoperability Assessments and Road Mapping” webinar presented by Haffty Consulting on May 15th at 1:00 EST by sending an email to info@hafftyconsulting.com with the subject line “Interoperability Assessments and Road Mapping”.
For more information on our Interoperability Strategy and Advisory Services, please see our services overview at Interoperability Strategy and Advisory Services.
About the Author: John Valutkevich directs Haffty Consulting’s Interoperability Program where he brings 3 decades of experience in healthcare IT primarily focused on interoperability initiatives and compliance. Drawing on expertise with MEDITECH interface implementation and strategy, his team is poised to assist MEDITECH customers with their interoperability roadmap and planning.