Healthcare Interoperability Consulting
Strategic and technical consulting for healthcare data exchange — FHIR R4 architecture, HIE integration, EHR connectivity, and CMS interoperability rule compliance.
The Challenge
Healthcare Interoperability Is a Technical and Strategic Problem
Healthcare interoperability is the ability for different systems to exchange patient information and use it appropriately — a goal the industry has pursued for decades with mixed results. The technical landscape has improved dramatically with FHIR R4 standardisation, but the challenges have evolved rather than disappeared. CMS-9115-F (the Interoperability and Patient Access Rule) mandates FHIR R4 APIs for payers and providers — but the mandate covers specific resources in specific profiles, and complying with the letter of the regulation while delivering genuine interoperability are not always the same thing. Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) — state and regional networks that aggregate patient data across providers — are valuable interoperability assets, but connecting to them requires navigating organisation-specific technical requirements, governance agreements, and data sharing policies that vary significantly by HIE. I have designed interoperability architectures serving 20,000+ post-acute care facilities, built integrations with major EHR vendors, and navigated the regulatory landscape around CMS interoperability compliance. I bring both the technical depth to build robust FHIR APIs and the strategic perspective to help organisations prioritise their interoperability investments.
Deliverables
Healthcare Interoperability Services
- Interoperability strategy and roadmap — assess your current state, prioritise use cases by business value and feasibility, and design a phased roadmap that delivers quick wins while building toward comprehensive data exchange
- CMS Interoperability Rule compliance — Patient Access API, Provider Directory API, Payer-to-Payer Data Exchange, and Prior Authorisation API implementation aligned to CMS-9115-F and CMS-0057-F
- FHIR R4 API design and implementation for interoperability — server capability statements, US Core profile conformance, SMART on FHIR authorization, and Bulk FHIR for population-level data
- HIE connectivity — technical integration with CommonWell Health Alliance, Carequality, regional state HIEs, and the TEFCA QHIN network for nationwide interoperability
- EHR vendor FHIR API integration — standardised approach to connecting with multiple EHR vendors while managing vendor-specific non-conformances through an abstraction layer
- Patient data aggregation — combining data from multiple EHR sources into a unified longitudinal patient record, with identity matching, data deduplication, and provenance tracking
- Healthcare data governance — master patient index (MPI) design, patient consent management for data sharing, and data quality governance for interoperable data
- Interoperability testing and certification — Inferno ONC certification test suite, Touchstone, and FHIR validator integration into CI/CD pipelines
- Interoperability maturity assessment — score your organisation against the HIMSS Continuity of Care Maturity Model and develop a targeted improvement plan
Stack
Technology Stack
Process
Interoperability Engagement Process
A clear, predictable engagement model with no surprises.
Interoperability Maturity Assessment
Evaluate your current interoperability state: existing interfaces, data exchange volumes, clinical use cases served and unserved, and compliance posture against CMS and ONC requirements. Output: a maturity score and a gap analysis with prioritised recommendations.
Use Case Prioritisation
Identify the highest-value interoperability use cases for your organisation — care coordination across the continuum, prior authorisation automation, population health analytics, or patient engagement. Prioritise based on clinical impact, regulatory obligation, and technical feasibility.
Architecture Design
Design the technical architecture for your interoperability platform — FHIR server, API gateway, identity management, consent management, and HIE connectivity. Design for growth: an architecture that supports three EHR connections today should scale to thirty without redesign.
Implementation and Integration
Build the platform and connect to target EHR systems, HIEs, and downstream data consumers. Iterative delivery with compliance validation at each milestone.
Ongoing Advisory
The interoperability regulatory landscape changes frequently — new CMS rules, updated TEFCA requirements, EHR vendor API updates. Ongoing advisory retainer to keep your platform current and compliant.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
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