Too many organizations approach their EMR data integration with an interface engine vendor and a list of required interfaces, and allow the integration to define itself.

Integration is a critical component of your healthcare data architecture.  A properly selected, architected and implemented solution will enable your EMR system to gather and disseminate the data required to provide the benefits for which you selected your EMR in the first place.  A poor integration implementation will create an environment where the costs, timelines and issues associated with new interfaces drive you away from a truly integrated EMR.

DFB Consulting has been helping clients define and develop solid integration foundations for over 17 years.  We believe that time spent establishing a proper framework, prior to the first table translation of message transformation being coded, is one of the most valuable integration investments your organization can make.

A few of the items to be considered:

• Overall Vision
  
• Interface Prioritizing
  
• Supported Standards and Formats
  
• Site Specific Integration Standards
  
• Development Standards
  
• Naming Conventions
  
• Interface Change Control, Versioning, and Archiving
  
• Documentation Standards and Templates
  
• Testing Approach
  
• Environments Supported
  
• Testing Phases
  
• Testing Tools
  
• Operationalizing
  
• Proactive Monitoring
  
• Interface Migration Procedures
  
• Table and Master File Maintenance

With the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act and its requirements for regional and national data sharing, a clearly defined and executed clinical data integration strategy has never been more critical.

Contact us for more information on how we can help you with your integration requirements.