
Benefits of standardised, interoperable health data sources for other data users
There is a vast sector of health data users, such as the health ICT industry, medtech, strategy & consultancy organisations, and data analysts who are keen on integrating health data, for different purposes:
- the development of innovative medical devices, apps, wearables, equipment, diagnostic tools
- the development of technical solutions for data collection, data warehousing, data analysis
They would like to be able to import or export data from and to other sources, but the limited standards adoption rate is a vicious cycle of low return. They may be unsure about the benefit for them to invest in trying to find and import data from multiple sources that all hold their data differently. Supporting interoperability does not yet offer enough business value over old-fashioned lock-in models and bespoke connections.
Examples
- a heart sensor that can track deviations in heart rhythm and transfer data in real time to the hospital’s cardiology dept
- a COVID-19 app that anonymously warns the people who were in the close vicinity of a person who tested positive