Poorly Governed Forced Interoperability Moves from Inefficient to Dangerous

This IDC Perspective summarizes the quotes and opinions around the state of healthcare interoperability in the context of the Epic v. Health Gorilla lawsuit. During "Meaningful Use," we sponsored "undergoverned data creation." This was inefficient, clumsy, and expensive to map, but relatively benign.In the current state of interoperability, we are sponsoring "undergoverned data power." This is dangerous, balancing the value of data with its potential for harm.Without governance, convened data creation leads to a dangerous concentration of "data power" among a few convening entities, necessitating even more regulatory frameworks to ensure equitable benefits.And the cycle continues. When will policymakers learn that controls matter?"For health insurers, health data sharing consent is no longer a narrow compliance obligation. Modern regulations (like TEFCA and the 21st Century Cures Act) assume that because data can move via APIs, it will only be used for "lawful" purposes (like patient treatment) without the need for a national, standardized system to verify patient consent in real time. This is foolish, naive, and dangerous for patients," says Jeff Rivkin, research director for Payer IT Strategies, IDC.