Interoperability's Vital Role in Enhancing Digital Therapeutics
Washington, Tuesday, 15 July 2025.
Interoperability is key for digital therapeutics, facilitating effective patient management and precision medicine by enabling seamless health information exchange across platforms.
Interoperability Frameworks in Digital Health
Interoperability serves as a critical pillar in the realm of digital health, underpinning the seamless and secure exchange of information necessary for the effective implementation of digital therapeutics and ubiquitous health (uHealth) systems. Key standards such as HL7 FHIR and TEFCA play a pivotal role in creating modular and scalable data structures that enable enhanced data exchange and coordination across digital platforms. These frameworks are indispensable for integrating advanced technologies like AI, blockchain, and federated learning, allowing for more precise and personalized care delivery [1].
Challenges and Enablers
Despite the progress made in digital health interoperability, several challenges persist, including data fragmentation, ethical issues, and semantic discrepancies, which hinder the smooth integration across healthcare systems. HL7 FHIR provides syntactic and semantic interoperability via standardized APIs, while TEFCA facilitates cross-organizational data sharing through policy frameworks. Enablers like federated learning and blockchain technology are being harnessed to overcome these barriers, particularly by promoting secure data sharing without centralization, thereby protecting patient privacy and enhancing data trustworthiness [1][2].
Real-World Applications and Progress
The Veterans Health Administration’s integration of the Cerner Millennium EHR system exemplifies the application of interoperability frameworks in real-world settings. This system aims to achieve semantic interoperability, allowing for the seamless exchange of health data using FHIR-based APIs. However, challenges such as differing behavioral health data policies and rollout readiness discrepancies among VA Medical Centers highlight the complexity and gradual nature of achieving full interoperability. Nevertheless, Health Information Exchange (HIE) tools have been effective in reducing data duplication and enhancing medication reconciliation precision [3].
Future Directions and Global Strategy
The WHO Global Strategy on Digital Health (2020-2025) advocates for the adoption of open standards and country-led digital transformations to foster equitable access to digital care, especially in low- and middle-income countries. These efforts are bolstered by advancements in AI and telehealth that facilitate risk assessment, diagnosis, and tailored therapies on a global scale. However, inconsistent implementation and sparse digital infrastructure demand more strategic governance reforms and stakeholder engagement to fully realize the benefits of digital health innovations [1][4].