In fact, a group of 25 healthcare organizations — representing providers, payers and health IT companies — recently wrote members of Congress to remove the nearly twenty-year-old ban.¹ 

So, what exactly does that mean? And what implications could it have for healthcare organizations?

For starters, it’s a continual challenge for providers to be able to match patient identity across the care continuum. It’s not only something that can cause internal headaches, but it also is a major hurdle standing in the way of achieving interoperability.

As more and more providers begin sharing patient information across systems, the risk of data falling into the wrong hands increases. While this can be a scary thought, there are steps you can take to secure patient information to help avoid this. And if all providers are able to put in place a system that lets them confidently identify patients regardless of location or vendor, then true interoperability can flourish.

To achieve interoperability while protecting patient privacy, you should start by considering the following questions:

1. Do you have technology in place that can accurately capture, manage and transform sensitive patient information?

Michael Campana joined Ricoh in 2012 as Senior Manager of Healthcare Marketing. He brings 27 years of experience to the role to lead the market positioning and strategy for Ricoh’s healthcare industry vertical in the Americas. Campana began his career in the healthcare industry upon graduating from the University of South Florida. He has worked for a number of healthcare organizations, including most recently Siemens Medical Solutions Health Services.