Transforming Hospital Operations with Healthcare Interoperability Solutions

Despite countless advancements in treatment and therapies, our healthcare system continues to face compounding challenges. Between the rising cost of care, prescription drug shortages, staff burnout, and inaccurate data living amongst systems that don’t “speak” to one another, hospitals are hindered in their ability to provide optimal patient care.

Healthcare leaders are under pressure to improve outcomes, which means they must be willing to part ways with outdated record-keeping systems. These systems that house sensitive patient health information, medication information, and billing data tend to be manual, time-consuming, and disconnected, which makes it difficult for providers and decisions-makers to work efficiently.

Part of the long-term solutions to these operational hurdles begins with interoperability. Interoperability is not just an IT upgrade—it is a strategic and necessary change that will transform healthcare operations.

Below we cover foundational topics, including what interoperability in the hospital means, why it matters for the future of our healthcare system, and a case study on how interoperability can greatly enhance medication management.

What is interoperability in the hospital?

Interoperability might be a buzzword in tech circles, but it’s important to ask the question: what is interoperability in the hospital or healthcare context? Interoperability in hospitals involves the seamless exchange and use of health data within hospital systems, applications, and devices. Today, many internal systems that clinicians and other healthcare staff use are disconnected. These include electronic health records, laboratory and imaging systems, pharmacy and medication systems, admission, billing, and patient discharge platforms.   

The goal of interoperability is to ensure clinicians and staff have real-time access to accurate, complete patient information across departments and care settings. 

Why is interoperability important in healthcare?

It increases visibility by allowing disjointed systems to come together. With interoperable software systems in place, previously siloed data living amongst five or more systems is merged. With this merge comes the ability to provide valuable insights. For example, advanced data analytics have the potential to reveal opportunities for medication waste reduction and improved billing practices, both of which have great financial and operational benefits.

Interoperability improves patient experiences and outcomes. Clinicians can access a complete view of a patient’s medical history, which can reduce errors, duplicative tests, and inappropriate treatments. This saves the patients (and the health systems) time, money, and added stress.

It can enhance care coordination. Interoperable systems support seamless communication across hospitals (this is especially critical for those with multiple sites), primary care providers, specialists, labs, and pharmacies.

Administrative burden is greatly reduced. Intelligent interoperable software systems in healthcare can streamline clinical workflows, minimize manual data entry, and lower the risk of documentation errors. This is particularly important as hospitals face budget cuts, staff shortages, and burnout—especially within the hospital pharmacy. Clinicians can focus on patient-centered care and practice at the top of their licenses instead of spending hours of their shift navigating multiple clunky, outdated systems. 

It can support public health and research. Real-time data exchange contributes to faster disease surveillance, population health management, and clinical research. The American Hospital Association (AHA) is actively promoting interoperability in healthcare, advocating for policies and practices that enable the seamless exchange of patient information between different healthcare systems. 

Case study: interoperable solutions for medication management

One strong example of the benefits of interoperability in healthcare and hospitals is end-to-end visibility in medication and supply chain management. Critical drug shortages, counterfeiting, and drug diversion have made secure, real-time visibility into the medication supply chain a critical need for hospitals, now and in the future. 
 
RFID-powered medication management is foundational for efficient and accurate data collection, which can then be leveraged through interoperable solutions. Here’s how the process works: RFID-tagged medications provide data to the medication management software system. From here, these medications can be tracked from the pharmacy to the point of care. Because of the wealth of data provided by RFID tags, inventory management software can help ensure the right drug is available at the right time while also feeding other interoperable systems for billing purposes. 
 
Together, this combination of hardware and software ensures everyone along the medication management pipeline has accurate data they can trust. Ultimately, can enhance patient outcomes in the long-term. Here are seven tangible examples of how these solutions will improve patient safety and care:

1. Automated alerts arm providers with critical patient health information like allergies, drug interactions, and duplications    
   
2. Clinicians can access and verify a patient’s complete medication history (including prescriptions from outside providers or pharmacies) upon admission, transfer, and discharge   
   
3. Allows accurate medication ordering to prevent stockouts 
   
4. Reduces manual workload as well as the potential for human error in the pharmacy, especially regarding prescriptions and kit and tray replenishment 
   
5. Nurses, pharmacists, and physicians can access the same up-to-date medication orders and administration records, improving coordination and accountability  
   
6. Facilitates seamless regulatory compliance (including 340B and DSCSA) and auditing. 
   
7. Provides traceable records of medication administration and changes, aiding in regulatory reporting and reducing liability risks 

Embracing the benefits of interoperability in healthcare

Interoperability is the way of the future, allowing hospitals to enhance the patient experience while simultaneously streamlining operations. Through a combination of automation and real-time, AI-powered intelligence, the digital transformation in hospital operations is beginning, and will only get more efficient with time.  
   
So, what does that mean for 2025 and beyond? Because our healthcare industry is defined by constant change, adaptability is critical. While many companies talk about being partners, Intelliguard demonstrates it daily by helping health systems protect and future-proof their investments in medication and supply chain management. It is critical for health systems to introduce a digitally powered, intelligent, and interoperable medication ecosystem that leverages real-world data.
 
Today, dozens of hospitals across the United States are utilizing Mira Intelligence as their interoperable, centralized data platform. And the great news is, it works with what hospitals systems already have in place, meaning that its seamless integration will not disrupt workflows. Put in action, Mira Intelligence connects information that was previously siloed, empowering decision-makers to act before issues negatively affect compliance, patient care, and revenue.  

Don’t get left behind. Learn how Mira Intelligence can help you extract value from the investments your hospital has already made.