By Chisom Juanita Mefor
As our world embraces digital transformation, data has become a powerful asset, driving informed decisions and fueling progress across policies, practices, and community outcomes.
One of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) focuses on promoting good health and well-being. Achieving this goal requires interoperable and accessible health data systems to ensure that no community—especially underserved rural areas—is left behind.
The vision of connected healthcare—where patient information flows seamlessly across different systems and multiple facilities—is more than just a technological ambition. It is a vital shift needed to addresses persistent gaps in care, improves accessibility, and maximizes resource efficiency within healthcare systems. Without this foundation, inefficiencies and fragmented patient histories will continue to undermine health outcomes.
Efforts to improve healthcare interoperability in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have been promising. Platforms like Ada Health and Babylon Health empower community health workers (CHWs) in remote areas, enabling them to input patient symptoms and receive diagnostic insights. This approach reduces dependency on immediate physician consultation, easing the burden on strained healthcare resources.
Several other notable digital health solutions, such as M-TIBA in Kenya, Zipline, and eHealth Africa’s BISKIT, are making measurable impacts across LMICs. However, inconsistent data standards and fragmented systems remain significant hurdles. With only 40% of healthcare facilities in LMICs equipped to share and receive digital health information.
The Digital Health Interoperability Network (DHIN) was established to tackle this critical issue head-on. DHIN exemplifies a collaborative model, uniting government agencies, NGOs, private health implementers, and technology partners to facilitate secure, standardized data exchange. This year’s theme for DHIN 2024 Digital Health Week, “Digital Health, Data, and Patient-Centric Care: Putting People First in Digital Transformation,” underscores our dedication to collaboration and patient-focused solutions. People make systems work, not the other way around. When systems communicate and work together, it’s because people make a choice to collaborate; to prioritize shared goals, ultimately achieving seamless, integrated healthcare for all.
Despite notable advancements, achieving universal healthcare interoperability requires deliberate, further coordinated efforts from diverse stakeholders. Initiatives like DHIN play a pivotal role in bridging the divide, nurturing and productive partnerships, and addressing the critical challenges of inconsistent data standards, fragmented systems.
While the path to interoperability is far from straightforward, the opportunities it presents are transformative. The trickles of progress we make today offersa glimpse of a future where global healthcare is equitable, efficient, and accessible to all. Now is the time for stakeholders at every level to embrace interoperability as an essential pillar of healthcare transformation.
Chisom is the Community Manager at the Digital Health Interoperability Network (DHIN)
