Interoperability: Developments and Challenges in the Pursuit of the Holy Grail of Digital Health

Episode 01: Show Notes

Achieving interoperability in digital health presents significant challenges, but the rewards are immense. In the inaugural episode of SNOMED International’s podcast Coded Conversations, we delve into the intricacies of interoperability, unpacking developments in this field and the challenges faced. Joining us are two leading experts: hematologist Dr. Charles Gutteridge,  clinical advisor to SNOMED International, and Chief Clinical Information Officer at Barts Health NHS Trust in London; and Rory Davidson, SNOMED International’s Chief Information Officer. Kelly Kuru, Chief Communications Officer for SNOMED International, moderates this conversation.

Tuning in you'll gain insights into what interoperability means in healthcare, the challenges inherent in achieving it, the vital role of a clinical terminology like SNOMED CT in enabling it, and where we currently stand in terms of its development. You’ll also hear about its benefits for medical professionals and patients, the global significance of comprehensible and shareable healthcare data, and the value of being able to use reliable medical data for research purposes. Join us in exploring the latest advancements moving the healthcare world closer to making interoperability a reality.

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to interoperability in healthcare.
• Challenges of achieving interoperability: the human factor.
• The technical side of interoperability and the importance of establishing standards.
• How the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the realization of interoperability.
• The role of clinical terminologies like SNOMED CT in enabling interoperability.
• What we are doing well in terms of achieving meaningful interoperability.
• The decision support built into this system.
• Some of the benefits of structured systems like this for patients.
• The value of interoperability in a world lacking sufficient healthcare resources and capacity.
• Parting comments about the importance of the global nature of interoperability for healthcare data.
• The value of being able to share data for research purposes.

Quotes:

“The technology will do what we want; it’s the human angle that’s the most important part of any discussion on interoperability.” — @rd_work [0:06:57]

“Terminology brings unambiguity into the message [of interoperability]. It means that [the message] is completely understood; you’re not having to interpret somebody else’s pretext or handwriting or anything like that.” — @rd_work [0:18:08]

“That magic bit of connecting data about people to research ideas that generate new knowledge is partly driven by making sure the data is interoperable.” — @GutteridgeC [0:27:06]

“Making it possible to share [data] for research purposes is one of the things that drives modern healthcare systems.” — @GutteridgeC [0:27:23]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Charles Gutteridge on X

Rory Davidson

Rory Davidson on X

Kelly Kuru on X

Kelly Kuru

SNOMED International