A recent McKnights webinar, “From crisis to opportunity: Enhancing data continuity in today’s LTC landscape,” delved into the challenges long-term care operators face with data sharing and the impact on continuity of care.  Experts in healthcare technology, nursing home administration, healthcare information security, privacy, and compliance provided attendees with an overview of regulatory changes and technology solutions that impact data sharing.

The presenters noted that a recent study revealed 80% of healthcare data is unstructured, including radiology images.  This unstructured data results in unusable data, workflow inefficiencies, and frustration for healthcare professionals.  Staff will often “work around” the system, resulting in even greater data fragmentation.  Vendors in healthcare information systems are continually improving software, including the incorporation of artificial intelligence to improve efficiencies and data integration.

The federal government has several initiatives to standardize healthcare data and data-sharing requirements.  The Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA), under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is the nationwide framework for health information sharing.  TEFCA’s mission is to remove barriers to sharing health records electronically among healthcare providers, patients, public health agencies, and payers.  TEFCA recognizes seven Qualified Health Information Networks (QHIN), which are organizations capable of nationwide health data exchange.  Under the HITECH Act (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act), the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology promotes electronic health records and private and secure health information exchanges.

For regulatory compliance, quality of care, and staff efficiency and satisfaction, long-term care facilities need to incorporate technology upgrades into their strategic planning process.   Consistent processes and basic procedures are critical in ensuring data is organized in a meaningful way.  The cost of a new system is a barrier for many long-term care providers as they are struggling with staffing and direct patient care expenditures.  Affordable technology solutions are available in the marketplace to improve data management; however, investments must also be made in training and ongoing education of staff on appropriate use of these technology tools.  The expert webinar panel stressed that investing in technology is worth the time and energy as it will ultimately free healthcare providers to focus their time on patient care.