Interoperability is ‘critical’ for referral sources, survey finds 

PEACHTREE CORNERS, Ga. – Nearly every U.S. hospital and physician entity is more likely to refer patients to a post-acute care provider that can support electronic data exchange, according to an independent survey on interoperability commissioned by Brightree and MatrixCare, both wholly owned subsidiaries of ResMed. 

“As trends such as value-based reimbursement, care-at-home models, and clinical staffing shortages continue to impact the health care landscape, it is critical that PAC providers adopt the interoperable capabilities they need to gain efficient access to tomorrow’s referrals, deliver quality care to their patients and improve outcomes,” said Nick Knowlton, vice president of Strategic Initiatives at ResMed. “This research initiative supports our long-standing mission to address unmet needs for advanced interoperability and engagement solutions across the post-acute care continuum and beyond.” 

The biannual “Interoperability and Engagement Research Report” surveyed more than 130 hospital and physician entities that refer patients for PAC services, plus more than 300 PAC providers across home health, hospice, home medical equipment, pharmacy, home infusion and skilled nursing facilities. 

Results from the survey include: 

• 99% of the hospital and physician entities surveyed said they are more likely to send referrals to PAC providers who can support their interoperability needs, such as accepting electronic referrals. This is up from 74% in 2021 and 60% in 2019. 

• 96% of referring entities reported they are likely to send more referrals to PAC providers who have advanced patient engagement capabilities, such as digital signature capture and real-time data exchange. 

• While most PAC providers acknowledge the growing importance of interoperability, only 39% have advanced their interoperability strategies over the past 12 months, primarily due to workforce and financial resource constraints, including lack of knowledge about their underlying systems’ capabilities; lack of money/high cost associated with the efforts; and lack of time to focus on interoperability advancement. 

Results specifically for HME, pharmacy and home infusion include: 

• 99% of referring entities said they’d be more likely to send referrals to providers who can receive orders electronically.

• Only 20% of HME providers and pharmacies said they receive referrals via electronic data exchange most of the time.

• 50% of HME providers and pharmacies said they’re planning to implement new solutions that better support their interoperability goals.