Navigating the Landscape of Healthcare Data Sharing: Insights from CRA-I Roundtable
By Helen V. Wright, Manager, CRA-I
In a recent virtual roundtable discussion hosted by the Computing Research Association – Industry (CRA-I), industry experts and professionals convened to delve into the complexities and opportunities surrounding the sharing of healthcare data. The event, moderated by Divesh Srivastava from AT&T, featured insightful contributions from Margarita Gonzalez (Georgia Tech Research Institute), John Kansky (Indiana Health Information Exchange), and Tammy Toscos (Parkview Health). See the full recording here.
The conversation highlighted the transformative potential of healthcare data sharing in today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape. As a force with the capacity to revolutionize patient care, research, and policy-making, it has become a crucial endeavor. However, the discussion acknowledged the myriad challenges, ranging from privacy concerns to interoperability issues.
Margarita provided valuable insights into the multifaceted nature of sharing healthcare data, emphasizing its role in military healthcare resilience and readiness. She touched upon different dimensions of wellness and health, including key aspects such as psychological resilience, mental wellness, and their connection to overall health. John Kansky shed light on the evolution of local health information infrastructure, emphasizing the importance of data quality. He highlighted the standards in place and the need for data to conform to these standards, ultimately focusing on supporting patient treatment. Tammy Toscos, situated between the realms of Margarita and John, discussed her lab’s work with public health data and qualitative data integration. While utilizing electronic health record data for research and support systems, her team emphasizes social science and human-centered design in their core research areas.
As we navigate the intricate landscape of healthcare data sharing, the insights from this CRA-I roundtable can serve to guide stakeholders from academia, industry, government, and medical practice towards collaborative solutions. The challenges are acknowledged, but so too are the transformative possibilities that lie ahead in reshaping the future of patient care, research, and policy-making. It is clear that there is more to discuss as a community in this space. CRA-I will be hosting an in-person workshop in this area in 2024. Please stay tuned and reach out if you have any questions, comments, or interest in participating in the in-person workshop.
