Health Data Standards and Interoperability
Health Data Standards and Interoperability Health data standards explain how information is formatted, coded, and exchanged between systems. Interoperability is the practical outcome: different software can read, interpret, and use data without manual re-entry. When standards and interoperability work well, a lab result travels from one hospital to another, a clinician sees a complete medication list, and researchers access de-identified data for important studies. What standards matter most HL7 and its FHIR framework help apps talk to each other using common resources like Patient, Observation, and Medication. DICOM handles medical images and related data. LOINC codes standardize lab tests, while SNOMED CT covers clinical terms. ICD-10 or ICD-11 classify diagnoses. Together, these codes and formats support clear meaning across systems. Why interoperability helps ...