Benefits of interoperability: a closer look at the estimates.
The paper by Jan Walker and colleagues provides an estimate of savings to be gained by increased health care information exchange and interoperability (HIEI). However, the assumptions on which their analysis was based seem very optimistic and could produce estimates that are not achievable. This commentary outlines some questions about their assumptions and suggests that less-aggressive assumptions could lead to more realistic expectations about the financial implications of achieving interoperability.
Baker
Laurence C
LC
Department of Health Research and Policy, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA. laurence.baker@stanford.edu
D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000191:economics*; D008498:Medical Record Linkage; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration; D014481:United States