The clinical interoperability space has benefited from an influx of vendors offering solutions that make essential patient medical data more accessible.  As with any innovative industry, buyers need to be wary as not all health data vendors are built equally. The process of aggregating, streamlining, and normalizing electronic health information (EHI) from a disparate network of clinical endpoints can be extremely complex and cumbersome, and that makes choosing the right interoperability partner a crucially important choice for healthcare organizations.

There are hundreds of millions of health records across tens of thousands of data sources sourced from thousands of health networks and other platforms – and there is only recently a push for standardization of data formats among them.  It is essential that the vendor you choose operates on Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR), and supports FHIR by further running a sophisticated infrastructure robust enough to effectively and efficiently process the large volume of EHI your organization will need.

To find the best solution for your organization, carefully consider these factors before making a decision:

Look for a Partner, not a Vendor
Clinical data is the backbone of the healthcare industry.  Your clinical data vendor should be fully invested in the integrity,  accuracy, and actionability of your data and should also be invested in your success.  Find a company that is more than just a vendor.  A true partner will be the key to your success when compiling vital patient data.

Seek a Proven Leader
New players are always entering the market, but the process of capturing vital patient records takes deep knowledge of the industry and the data capture process.  This is developed through years of research, partnerships, and trial and error.  Your best option is to work with a partner who truly understands the industry and how to best capture and streamline your essential data needs.

Search for Superior Customer Care and Support
When it comes to essential patient data needed to effectively run your organization, you don’t want to go it alone.  Your partner should be there every step of the way, guiding you and ensuring that you are maximizing your data access.

Discover Industry-Leading Technology
Whether it be through APIs or web-based portals, you want to ensure that your partner is using secure, proven, and industry standard protocols like FHIR.

Explore a Wide Network of Available Data
In such a disparate and siloed clinical ecosystem, there are a wide variety of potential health data sources.  Identify a partner that connects to a vast network, thus increasing your hit rate and increasing the number of valid patient records you receive on your searches.

Build on an Easy-to-Use Platform
User functionality is key to success.  If your vendor platform is too complex, too outdated, or not user-friendly, you’re not going to have the same level of interaction or success that you will with an easy-to-use platform that makes the data query process as painless as possible.

Invest in a Broad Data Portfolio
Make sure your partner can meet all your needs.  Some vendors offer only one solution or workflow, leaving you with gaps that may need to be filled through other sources.  A one-stop-shop approach where you can submit lab orders, authenticate patient identity, and send fax documents to providers allows your organization to focus its energy and developer time on core business needs.

About Health Gorilla
Health Gorilla is the market leader in providing healthcare entities access to essential patient medical data.  Several market sectors have already seen the powerful advantage that Health Gorilla can provide to their core business needs.  This includes digital health companies, health systems, government agencies, life insurance companies, lab services and many more.  Established in 2014, Health Gorilla is a true partner and a market leader with an in-depth knowledge of the healthcare interoperability space.  We pride ourselves in offering the highest level of streamlined patient data, sourcing it from the widest range of sources in the industry.  Health Gorilla’s API and web-based portals provide our wide range of customers with vital access to millions of patient records every day.  

Click here to schedule a demo or discuss your health data interoperability needs.