We’re just getting started with API integration

As healthcare continues the shift from pay-for-procedure to value-based care and reimbursement, we continue to see the crucial importance of what we call “connected health.”

That’s why Infor continues to dedicate itself to the Cloverleaf integration suite. During a recent webinar, I discussed how we haven’t even scratched the surface of what’s possible in terms of connected health. By remaining focused on who health is all about—the patient—we see the importance of bringing together patients, providers, caregivers and more to make sure they are sharing patient information quickly, easily, and, of course, securely.

The interface standards of previous technology generations have served us well for the purposes in which they were designed. Now we are looking to build on those successes with new paradigms of interoperability that include APIs with which we can continue to accelerate and drive innovation. APIs, or Application Programming Interfaces, have been around a long time (longer than I, personally, have been on earth) as a means for software technology to communicate with other software, but using more recent web-based technologies, they enable significantly greater opportunities for interoperability beyond an individual healthcare organization while being more secure than ever before, making them ripe for adoption across healthcare.

In short, these new APIs make information more fluid, enabling more collaboration and communication outside the four walls of the traditional healthcare organization.

And this is not just aspirational. At Infor, we have seen our clients working with APIs enable:

• External scheduling, which means payers can schedule appointments on a member’s behalf, securely. This reduces time-consuming phone calls and enhances patient satisfaction.
• Improved medication adherence, with the organization using an app to notify a patient about when he or she needs to take medications.
• Connecting hospital EHRs with affiliated providers to ensure a full picture of the patient and his or her needs.
• Point-of-care information access, giving the provider only the patient information it needs, and only when it’s needed.

As we enter into this brave new world of interoperability, we should also keep in mind how we plan to manage these APIs in a consistent, secure, and scalable manner. Infor Cloverleaf API Gateway provides a single point of control to manage the burgeoning number of API connections in healthcare, assuring the performance and security of those APIs.

APIs are just one piece of creating a culture of connected health. As we continue to face challenges—rising costs, increasing consumerism, changing payer models, to name a few—digital innovation will be the key to a successful future.

Corey Spears, Director, Interoperability Standards, Infor