Considerations for Choosing an EHR API Integration Solution

In the medical industry, timely and immediate access to accurate patient information and data-driven insights is crucial for the best treatment outcomes and patient experience. Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems and EHR API integrations play a pivotal role in achieving this goal by integrating various aspects of patient data into a centralized digital platform accessible to authorized healthcare professionals. 

However, even though over 78% of physicians and hospitals use EHR systems, these professionals often encounter challenges and frustrations that increase the risk of medical errors, misdiagnoses, and physician fatigue.

One significant challenge lies in the complexity and variability of EHR workflow for accessing and using best-in-class third-party solutions. With numerous vendors offering different systems, each with its own interface, functionalities, and customization options, physicians and hospital staff may struggle with cumbersome workflows for accessing and using these third-party solutions that involve juggling multiple platforms in an effort to get the patient treatment insights they need for effective care. 

This is where an ideal workflow integration solution comes in. The right solution helps connect disparate systems to facilitate the integration of patient information with up-to-date, data-driven recommendations, streamlining workflows and improving patient care. To get there, some essential factors for choosing an ideal API EHR integration solution must be considered. 

Why Is an EHR API Integration Solution Crucial?

Hospitals and clinics must undertake several activities to ensure the optimal functioning of the organization. These activities encompass clinical and non-clinical tasks, all of which contribute to the overall functioning of the institution. 

One basic aspect of modern healthcare management is using diverse technological systems to streamline processes and enhance efficiency. An ideal EHR workflow integration solution serves as a bridge between systems and platforms within the healthcare ecosystem. It allows diverse software applications to communicate and share data seamlessly, enabling healthcare providers to access patient information alongside current, data-driven insights from third-party providers and take action based on data-driven recommendations from external third-party solutions.

Related: Poor CDS EHR Integration Negatively Impacts Patient Care, Survey Finds

Without the capability of an EHR workflow integration for external third-party solutions, clinicians face significant stress and workflow disruptions when trying to access crucial insights from disparate systems. They must constantly toggle between different applications, websites, and EHR screens, draining their time and focus away from patient care. 

This laborious process of hunting for the latest information across siloed platforms increases the risk of errors and delays or hinders proper treatment, ultimately compromising the quality of care delivered to patients. Clinicians end up spending critical time navigating technological hurdles rather than leveraging digital tools to make informed clinical decisions efficiently.

Six Factors to Consider When Choosing an EHR API Integration Solution

Choosing the right EHR workflow platform, driven by APIs, is critical for giving clinicians seamless access to the data-driven recommendations from third-party solutions they need for optimal patient care, without disrupting their workflows by requiring them to toggle between disparate systems. Not all solutions are equal—healthcare organizations must carefully evaluate some key factors to find a platform that meets their specific requirements.

Factor #1: Compatibility

Compatibility across systems is a must-have for an effective EHR workflow platform driven by APIs. The ideal platform should integrate third-party solutions into multiple EHRs, both cloud-based and on-premise, driving reach and scale for end users like clinicians and staff across the care continuum. 

It should also seamlessly display data-driven recommendations and facilitate decision-related data exchange by adhering to standards like FHIR, rather than creating more fragmented silos. By enabling this interoperability without having to toggle between systems, the ideal integration solution provides clinicians with a holistic view of patient data and recommendations directly within their EHR workflow.

Factor #2: The User Experience

The usability of any EHR API integration solution is vital. Implementing new technologies often brings resistance from staff accustomed to existing workflows, even if those workflows aren’t adequate. An API integration system that enables an intuitive user interface and simple navigation is essential to minimize the end user’s learning curve and cut out the stress of another disparate system. 

Factor #3: Automation Capabilities

Automation is a critical factor when choosing an API-driven EHR workflow integration solution that truly drives adoption and return on investment. The ideal platform should proactively display relevant third-party insights, recommendations, and care gaps directly within clinicians’ existing EHR workflow—with zero or minimal clicks or toggling required. 

By seamlessly surfacing actionable insights, the ideal integration solution automates what would otherwise be a manual, time-consuming process of hunting for data-driven recommendations across disparate systems. 

The right solution should also enable automated decision implementation by allowing clinicians to take action on third-party recommendations from directly within the EHR interface. With the ability to write those decisions back into the patient’s EHR record and respective databases, the solution eliminates arduous data re-entry, thus making insights more accessible and improving patient care. This bidirectional automation also maximizes the value of third-party solutions.

Factor #4: Scalability

Scalability is an essential consideration when selecting an API-driven EHR workflow integration solution that can expand its reach and impact over time. The ideal platform should offer the flexibility to integrate with multiple EHR vendors, including cloud-based and on-premise EHR systems. This capability ensures the solution can scale across your organization as EHR systems evolve or new ones are implemented, preventing disruptions and rework. 

Additionally, the integration platform’s architecture should allow for seamless expansion to new care settings, clinical specialties, and user roles beyond just physicians. By facilitating the integration of third-party solutions across the full continuum of care, the right platform allows widespread adoption and offers consistent user experiences for clinicians. 

This scalable approach maximizes the value of the integration investment while future-proofing your technology stack to accommodate changing requirements and data volumes—without major overhauls.

Factor #5: Security Standards and Compliance Measures

Healthcare data is extremely sensitive and subject to stringent privacy regulations, such as HIPAA. Although breaches involving EHRs have not been prevalent in past years, 6 million patient records experienced EHR-related compromises in 2022, showing a new trend toward increased vulnerability associated with digital healthcare data. 

Since the platform you choose will come into contact with people’s personal health information, HIPAA and SOC-2 security must be considered. With this in mind, the right platform must incorporate robust security measures to safeguard patient information, including encryption protocols, access controls, audit trails, and regular security updates. Here are some of the security features to consider when vetting an EHR API integration platform:

• HIPAA compliance: Ensuring conformity with HIPAA involves meeting criteria for safeguarding sensitive patient information.
• SOC-2 security: Achieving SOC-2 security certification demonstrates that the EHR platform has undergone assessment across multiple organizational controls encompassing security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. 

Factor #6: Innovation

When deciding on the platform that will make workflow interoperability a tool that can truly improve patient care, consider the vendor’s future roadmap and commitment to innovation in healthcare technology. Look for evidence of ongoing research, product development, updates, and support for innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and telehealth. 

In a nutshell, assess whether the vendor will integrate emerging technologies into their solutions to improve patient care, streamline workflows, and drive better outcomes. The ideal vendor roadmap should demonstrate adaptability to changing market dynamics, regulatory requirements, and healthcare trends.

Optimize Your EHR Integration With the Right API Solutions 

EHR workflow integration has become a necessity in healthcare facilities. However, just like any other technology, it comes with challenges ranging from technical glitches and interoperability issues to data security concerns and resistance from staff members. 

Choosing the right API-driven EHR workflow integration solution is paramount to addressing these challenges effectively. By carefully considering some key factors, you can select a solution that integrates seamlessly into an existing infrastructure, empowers clinical decision-making with data-driven insights, and improves patient care.

At Insiteflow, we specialize in making external third-party solutions accessible, actionable, and automated within the EHR workflow. Our expertise lies in bridging the gap between disparate systems, ensuring smooth integration that enhances efficiency and productivity. Our technology seamlessly integrates with various EHR systems, improving the accessibility and scope of third-party solutions for clinicians and staff across different care settings. Contact us today to schedule a demo.