Looking toward the future of API Infrastructure

The future of EHR relies on leveraging a new generation of API infrastructure to avoid data silos. As a result of decades of stacking legacy healthcare systems on top of one another, our current healthcare ecosystem has evolved into a collection of data silos. The purpose of these silos of data is to create industry moats and to make it difficult for new entrants - both EHR platforms and practices - to enter the industry. 

In the wake of COVID-19, healthcare is experiencing unprecedented innovation, and digitization continues to disrupt many traditional care coordination processes. Furthermore, organizations are increasingly requiring a solution for interoperability that aggregates patient data that is currently spread across disparate electronic health records (EHRs) from disparate legacy systems. This will invariably fix many of the problems with electronic health records and result in providers having an accurate and holistic picture of a patient’s health history, and organizations aimed at creating modern healthcare experiences are increasingly relying on this philosophy and capability. As a result, modern EHR companies are developing responsive API driven , infrastructure platforms that can scale and accommodate this new world of healthcare. 

What is API infrastructure?

An API (Application Programming Interface) is a software intermediary that facilitates information exchange between different applications. Infrastructure API is a type of API that allows for the merging of products and services directly with an application. APIs play an increasingly important role in healthcare data exchange when it comes to data analytics, medical research, or creating innovative ways to access the EHR.

Advantages and disadvantages of API infrastructure:

The future of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) looks promising, as recent advancements indicate API solutions hold great value in the future of healthcare. For API to continue to take hold of the healthcare industry advancements will continue to be made. Review some of the current API advantages and disadvantages :

Advantages:

1. Increased Interoperability: API solutions enable different software systems to communicate with each other, regardless of their programming language or platform. This enhances the interoperability between systems, allowing for the exchange of data and functionality.
2. Improved Efficiency: API driven infrastructures enable developers to reuse code and functionality from existing software systems, saving time and reducing the amount of code that needs to be written from scratch.
3. Better User Experience: APIs can enable third-party developers to create applications that integrate with existing software systems, providing a better user experience and increased functionality.
4. Increased Flexibility: APIs provide developers with greater flexibility, enabling them to choose the best programming languages and frameworks for their needs.
5. New Revenue Streams: APIs can enable companies to create new revenue streams by providing third-party developers with access to their software systems.

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Disadvantages:

1. Security Concerns: API infrastructures can be vulnerable to security breaches, such as SQL injection attacks and cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks, making it crucial to implement security measures to protect against these threats.
2. Complexity: APIs can be complex, requiring a significant amount of development effort to implement and maintain.
3. Compatibility Issues: APIs can have compatibility issues between different versions of the same software system or between different systems, which can lead to errors and system failures.
4. Dependency on Third-Party Developers: APIs rely on third-party developers to create applications that integrate with the software system. This can create dependencies that are outside of the control of the company that owns the software system.
5. Governance and Management: APIs require proper governance and management to ensure they are being used correctly and consistently across different applications and systems.

How to select an API solution

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API infrastructure offers several benefits, including increased interoperability, improved efficiency, better user experience, increased flexibility, and new revenue streams. However, they also come with some drawbacks, such as security concerns, complexity, compatibility issues, dependency on third-party developers, and governance and management issues. Companies must carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages of API driven infrastructure and take steps to address any concerns to ensure that they can provide the best possible experience for their users.

Several factors should be considered when selecting an API solution. Partner with a tested API-first platform that prioritizes security, customizability, and compatibility. Healthie helps you launch your business swiftly and efficiently with trusted healthcare API. Healthie’s fully white-labeled solution and the first medical API of a HIPAA-compliant EHR and practice management platform allow startups to mix and match solutions to suit business goals to reap all of the API advantages.

Looking toward the future of API infrastructure

A new stack of API-first health tech companies is emerging, which will dismantle data silos of the past and reduce the time our industry spends on administrative tasks, resulting in better patient care. Healthcare providers will be able to access patient data more easily than ever before with these industry disruptors: new EMRs, interoperability solutions, and data aggregators / DaaS companies. 

With this more interconnected approach to health tech, we will usher in a new way of partnering across platforms that have traditionally competed with one another. As a result, the industry will be able to transition to cost-effective value-based care delivery. 

The transfer of patient data has been a discussion throughout the healthcare industry for several years now, but recent advancements in API infrastructure have made it clear now is the time to revolutionize the way we store patient records. The new mentality of API-first platforms will help providers and healthcare organizations make critical care decisions when it comes to time-sensitive patient treatment  plans.