HL7 CTO: How to set healthcare on FHIR
The current state of healthcare and the way clinical studies are conducted exists in separate systems and paper-based processes. And the datasets compiled from older systems are difficult to read or gather any tangible information.
FHIR can eliminate many of these issues, but the industry is reluctant to embrace change, according to HL7’s Chief Technology Officer Wayne Kubick.
“The FHIR platform is robust and I don’t think we’ve seen limitations to what FHIR can do," Kubick said. "The real challenge is to identify what it can do and what will give the industry the greatest benefits."
FHIR has the ability and has proven what it can do, but Kubick said that many organizations feel somewhat threatened by it.
“IT challenges are not the problem with FHIR,” Kubick said. “The problem is getting people to think differently, accept change and consider new approaches to old problems.”
It’s not just about habit or past experience, but removing obstacles and creating a defense positioning that ensures what we did in the past has a place in the future as well, he explained.
“You have to think differently, but you also have to have the courage to give things up: To look at the bigger picture and see what needs to happen,” Kubick said. “What’s important is to find the best option to make significant progress.”
Other challenges include lack of resources, time and prioritization.
Kubick believes the biopharma industry is a solid place to start implementation as FHIR can tackle many of that industry’s challenges, like cost, development, timeframe and the ability to adequately test drugs over a broad population.
All of the necessary data is out there, it’s collated in the old world, and FHIR can create a window into all of the systems to draw out key information, he said.
“It’s hard to work with EHRs because they are varied quite a bit, and there’s no standard system,” said Kubick. “But FHIR has addressed that. Now there is that window into common clinical datasets, which should give a pretty consistent view of good, quality data that can be tapped into to make better decisions.”
Kubrick will discuss these views and other ways FHIR can improve patient outcomes during a HIMSS17 session titled, “Setting Clinical Research on FHIR,” on Feb. 20, 1:30PM, Room 304A at the Orange County Convention Center.
HIMSS17 runs from Feb. 19 to 23, 2017, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.
This article is part of our ongoing coverage of HIMSS17. Visit Destination HIMSS17 for previews, reporting live from the show floor and after the conference.
