Interoperability – A Strong Presence at the 2025 MUSE Inspire Conference
By: John Valutkevich
Returning to MUSE Inspire after seven years was a welcome change from some of the other industry trade shows I attended earlier this year. It is at MUSE where collaboration, not competition, is the leading theme. The education sessions at their core provided insight into discoveries, best practices and recommendations for the MEDITECH user community in attendance to consider and adopt. The opportunities to socialize facilitated valuable networking with peers and idea sharing. The exhibition hall also provided the ability to discover new solutions coupled with the intermingling of colleagues from different vendor firms. I was glad to be reminded of how important MUSE events truly are.
Apart from my impressions of the overall “vibe” at MUSE Inspire, I was in attendance to co-present with MEDITECH’s Allison Pallatroni on the topic of Interoperability. Our session, entitled “Start Packing and Map Your Interoperability Journey” occurred on the third day, which in the end was timed well given the theme. Together, we put forth the recommendation to assess your interoperability strategy by addressing current interfaces, Traverse adoption, new data exchange solutions, and to be mindful of regulatory impacts. In essence, bringing together many of the themes of the other interoperability presentations as well as affirming that an update or development of an interoperability strategy is a timely step now with increased Traverse availability and implementations.
Of the 65 sessions at Inspire, 11 had an explicit focus on interoperability with many others acknowledging its relevance as a foundational component to ensuring increased end user satisfaction, better outcomes and financial savings. All fundamental considerations for incorporating data exchange solutions.
As expected, MEDITECH’s Traverse interoperability platform was featured in many presentations both from MEDITECH and from provider organizations. With its initial adoption in Canada in 2023 to its availability and implementation beginning for US customers in 2024, Traverse is fast becoming centric to any interoperability strategy for scaling seamless data exchange between MEDITECH and non-MEDITECH healthcare organizations and providers. This was affirmed in these sessions as presenters acknowledged firsthand how important Traverse’s capabilities as a QHIN to bring more data from outside network provider organizations seamlessly into new summary screens rich with deduplicated patient information. Obvious benefits of Traverse include improved care coordination, reduced time searching for records, and enhanced diagnostic accuracy for MEDITECH clinicians. Additional supporting sessions included integrating important data sources from claims systems, public health, wearables and legacy systems, all intrinsically important to assessing an organization’s interoperability topology and strategy.
Finally, and increasingly relevant, were the interoperability sessions that addressed the emerging importance of leveraging AI solutions to streamline workflows, reduce administrative burdens and improve decision-making. It is important to recognize that many AI solutions are integrated solutions, and accounting for their adoption is another integral component of your interoperability strategy.
In summary, the 2025 MUSE Inspire conference in Dallas was affirmation that interoperability solution adoption continues at a rapid pace fueled by the increased capabilities of MEDITECH Traverse coupled with the emergence of complimentary AI solutions. Accordingly, consider an examination of your interoperability strategy to support your organization in delivering data-driven decision-making and operational efficiency.
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.