I'm always on the lookout for new ways of
explaining the critical role of standards. Coming across this new metaphor gave
me a kick:
“There are many roles which consume the products of Healthcare IT. CIOs need to plan work flows for their organization. Nurses need to ensure quality care for patients. Doctors need to access clinical decision support systems, report to outside agencies, and a myriad of other EHR functions. Provider accounting needs to properly code and manage accounting functions. Insurance companies need to process claims, interface to drugstores, and follow Federal policy. Lab technicians need to receive orders, report and archive the results. Achieving interoperability is based on a complex architectural coordination.
Standards are an important part of the choreography
which enables the dance of interoperability. Agreed upon common reference data
tables in the form of terminologies are crucial for communication between
enterprises. Interoperability is also concerned with the behavioral standards
of separate software systems.”
Hard-nosed, technical language – and in the middle of it, “the choreography which enables the dance of interoperability”. This phrasing perfectly captures the dynamics of complex business interactions. The multi-player activities we see in business need coordination, otherwise you've just got a melee. Standards are the core and foundation of the crucial choreography.
