Healthcare data is rendered meaningless unless it can be shared, industry experts say. The Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) North America Connectathon, now in its 11th year, recently showed how to get interoperability done right.

Focused on electronic health record system connectivity and interoperable exchange of patient health data with standards-based systems, the IHE 2010 North America Connectathon, held Jan. 11-15 in Chicago, brought together 498 system engineers, who were testing more than 150 health IT systems from 104 participating companies and organizations.

IHE is a global initiative that creates the framework for passing vital health information seamlessly – from application to application, system to system and setting to setting – across multiple healthcare enterprises.

At this year's IHE North America Connectathon at the Hyatt Regency Hotel Chicago, engineers filled the basement ballroom and exchanged information with complementary systems from multiple vendors and organizations.

The IHE Connectathon is the healthcare IT industry's only large-scale interoperability testing event. Connectathons are held annually in Asia, Europe and North America. During the Connectathon, systems exchange information with complementary systems from multiple vendors, performing all of the transactions required for the roles they have selected.

"The IHE 2010 North America Connectathon is really a connectivity testing event, one demonstrating the ongoing commitment of the more than 100 participating organizations for the successful and secure exchange of patient health data through technology," said Joyce Sensmeier, vice president of informatics at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. "Since its inception in 1999, this IHE event continues to be a catalyst for a connected healthcare system, providing an opportunity for participants to test the interoperability of their systems with partners prior to taking products to their customer sites."
 
HIMSS10 Interoperability Showcase

As a connectivity test-run, the IHE 2010 North America Connectathon is considered mandatory preparation for upcoming Interoperability Showcase events, including the HIMSS 2010 Interoperability Showcase on March 1-3 in Atlanta, held during the HIMSS10 Conference and Exhibition.

With 73 participating vendors and organizations, the HIMSS 2010 Interoperability Showcase illustrates how interoperability drives improvements in the quality, safety and efficiency of care.

As in previous years, the showcase highlights IHE's common framework and Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel (HITSP) Interoperability Specifications for delivering interoperability across local, regional and national health information exchanges.