Can Interoperable Health Systems Really Save Moms and Babies?

June 29, 2018In Tanzania, interoperability is working behind the scenes to bring vaccines to more babies that need them.I used to tell colleagues I was better at discussing the benefits of breastfeeding and handwashing than health information systems.I have a background in natural childbirth instruction and community-based development, and when I started working in digital health a few years ago, I missed the human aspects of global health. I had a shiny new master ’s degree in public health but felt lost in the conversations about canonical data models and reference implementations.  Where were the babies? Where were their mamas? Did all this talk about enterprise-level architecture make a discernable difference in their lives? Why did it matter?The answer —I came to find out—is in harnessing the power of data exchange through interoperable systems.Did all this talk about enterprise-level architecture make a discernable difference in their lives? Why did it matter?In digital health, the term interoperability refers to the ability of different information systems and software applications to communicate and exchange data. The more sources from which data are collected, the better health workers and policy-makers can detect patterns and trends in the health of a population and plan programs and interventions accordingly.Suppose a system containing information on health workers, likeiHRIS, tells us that there are four midwives working at a particular clinic, and another ...
Source: IntraHealth International - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Source Type: news