Electronic Health Record System (EHR-S) Scorecard Toolkit

Definition of Interoperability: The ability of two or more systems or components to exchange and use information (by The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

Given that current health service delivery models are based on a traditional structure divided into levels of care (primary care, specialized care, emergencies, mental health, etc.), an organizational structure that implies segregation of information systems, it is becoming increasingly important to share clinical information between them, because there are many benefits for the quality of care that comes from having the right information at the right time.

Interoperability is not a binary ability that happens or not, but it has different layers, levels, or dimensions; based on the HIMSS classification[1] , we can identify the levels of interoperability:

Each of these dimensions can be guaranteed with the use of standards explicitly designed for that purpose. A standard according to the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), is a technical document designed to be used as a standard, guideline or definition. It is a consensual and repeatable way of doing something. In this sense, it is important to incorporate the existence of internationally recognized interoperability standards in the requirements related to interoperability for an EHR-S.

This guide focuses on the three types of interoperability since the organizational level of interoperability is not applicable for our purpose.

Within the interoperability and standards module, two fundamental sections are considered:

• Standards
• Operation and monitoring

Refer to the attached document for more details.

[1] https://www.himss.org/