Driving Innovation in Health Systems through an Apps-Based Information Economy

Abstract

Healthcare data will soon be accessible using standard, open software interfaces. Here, we describe how these interfaces could lead to improved healthcare by facilitating the development of software applications (apps) that can be shared across physicians, health care organizations, translational researchers, and patients. We provide recommendations for next steps and resources for the myriad stakeholders. If challenges related to efficacy, accuracy, utility, safety, privacy, and security can be met, this emerging apps model for health information technology will open up the point of care for innovation and connect patients at home to their healthcare data.

Figure 1. Creating an Ecosystem for Apps

The lower panel shows a classic EHR with a standard view of the data. Above is shown an ecosystem of apps supported by a uniform public application programming interface for healthcare data. A third party app written once can run anywhere. The app can be reused on multiple EHRs and other forms of health information technology. The end user can select apps from a gallery or “app store” and, just as on a smart phone, one app can be readily be substituted for another. Image courtesy of Rachel Eastwood.