On April 8, hundreds of Nashville Health Care Council executives came together to hear a panel of health IT thought leaders discuss interoperability.
The panel, moderated by Center for Medical Interoperability Executive Director Ed Cantwell, featured Cerner President Zane Burke and Mike Schatzlein, MD, senior vice president and group ministry operating executive with St. Louis-based Ascension Health.
Here are three thoughts from the panelists.
1. Mr. Burke on embracing interoperability: "As more providers realize the benefits of true interoperability, a clear picture is starting to take shape in the market: Either you're going to be open and interoperable, or you’ll be obsolete."
2. Mr. Burke on interoperability and the greater good: "It's encouraging to see more organizations choose the promise of patient-centric data exchange rather than the closed and dated systems of the past, but interoperability isn't just about what's good for Cerner's business — it's about doing the right thing by our patients and clinicians."
3. Dr. Schatzlein on the benefits of interoperability: "The current system is inefficient and puts strain on clinicians as they treat patients. A truly interoperable health system will significantly improve the safety and quality of care, enable innovation and remove cost from the system."