CHIME21: How Interoperability Increases Efficiency and Transparency in Healthcare

Interoperability is of growing importance in healthcare as more patient data is collected and as new rules and regulations require increased transparency and ease of access to this data. Healthcare leaders discussed this trend at the recent CHIME21 Fall Forum. Experts shared the ways that technology integration with the electronic health record is improving workflows for clinicians, and how the flow of information between providers needs to be improved to adhere to requirements laid out in the 21st Century Cures Act. 

SCL Health in Broomfield, Colo., deployed Nuance Communications’ Dragon Ambient eXperience, which uses natural language processing technology backed by artificial intelligence to turn a conversation between a clinician and patient into a medical note. Craig Richardville, chief innovation and digital officer at SCL Health, talked about the program in the digital CHIME21 session “New Times, New Solutions: Getting All the Juice Out of the Squeeze: Optimizing Documentation in the EHR with Ambient.” He said the technology is exciting for a few reasons: It re-engages the provider with the patient, since there’s no longer a mobile device or written chart between them, and it increases workflow efficiencies.