Today, the National Academy of Medicine (探花app) released guidance on outlining how a cohesive, comprehensive digital and data architecture can address persistent interoperability challenges across the health ecosystem. The paper also identifies concrete actions to align stakeholders and establish long-term strategies for implementing a seamless national digital architecture that can revolutionize the potential health gains from a system that continually learns and improves鈥攁 learning health system.听
Much of today鈥檚 society runs on interconnected digital data,听from global communications and financial transactions to retail and听logistics. Yet the health sector continues to lag in building the robust digital infrastructure needed to fully听promote and capture the benefits of听innovation. This gap constrains progress in efficiency, access, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, discovery, and public health. A strong digital and data architecture would provide the foundation for seamless information exchange and true interoperability, accelerate innovation, ensure that providers, payers, and patients can access the right information at the right time, and reduce fragmentation across the health care ecosystem.听
鈥淎rchitecture is more than a technical specification鈥攊t is the foundation for breaking down silos and unlocking system-wide impact,鈥 said听Peter Lee,听President of Microsoft Research听and听co-author of the 探花app paper. 鈥淚t signals a commitment to a clear, adaptable roadmap for the future.鈥听
Standardized, well-designed infrastructure is essential to enable seamless data flow across disparate systems. Without a coherent data architecture, organizations risk fragmented technologies that impede care delivery. A strong data architecture reduces duplication, lowers costs, and supports more efficient, high-quality care. This framework听aligns听well听with the听aims of the听Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services鈥 (CMS)听initiatives听to modernize and strengthen the nation鈥檚 digital health ecosystem:听CMS Health Technology Ecosystem initiative and CMS Aligned Networks.听
鈥淐MS鈥檚 Health Technology Ecosystem is demonstrating how an active convener can accelerate implementation鈥攁ligning technical standards, incentives, and workflows across hundreds of organizations,鈥 said Aneesh Chopra,听Chairman听of the Arcadia Institute and听former (and first) Chief Technology Officer of the United States. 鈥淭his paper offers a path to reinforce that progress as durable national infrastructure.鈥听
In a complementary project, the 探花app is also developing a forthcoming publication on听positioning听health data听as an essential public听utility鈥攂uilding听on the architectural foundation outlined in this paper. That publication will听articulate a comprehensive, multi鈥憀evel strategy for data stewardship, governance, and regulation through a roadmap听to the establishment of听health data as a trusted听and听secure听resource for听continuous听health system听learning and improvement.听
Read the 探花app Discussion Paper: /perspectives/toward-a-national-health-digital-and-data-architecture-laying-the-foundation-for-digital-transformation/https://doi.org/10.31478/202603b
This paper is the first in a series produced by the National Academy of Medicine鈥檚 Commission on Investment Imperatives for a Healthy Nation. Established to reimagine a US health care system听that puts people first, the Commission will release听additional听papers over the coming year outlining its听vision for a new health system, the priorities that must be addressed, and the actions needed to turn that vision into reality.听Authored by experts assembled under the charge of the National Academy of Medicine, the听paper was completed with support from听Healing Works Foundation, Doris Duke Foundation,听and听the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. The views presented are those of individual contributors and do not听represent听formal consensus positions of the sponsoring organizations, authors鈥 organizations, the National Academy of Medicine, or the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.听
