The EHR has yet to achieve its fullest potential in terms of yielding increased efficiencies, revenue and comparative outcome/cost analysis. Finding the most value in our own organization is the first challenge; there need to be tools that will aggregate this data and build meaningful and actionable information and ultimately develop predictive models. In the end, we want to expand this comparative methodology to world populations and find the most value in care delivery and how it was achieved. As we enter an era of Internet of Things (IoT) in healthcare the possibilities of processing big data on populations becomes more than just a dream.
Currently data sharing faces a few limitations such as lack of EHR interoperability and information-blocking practices, which are currently being discussed by Congress. It is clear that HHS and Congress is dedicated to removing these obstacles; after which it will be imperative for healthcare systems to have organic or inorganic innovative design for entering into big data and population health delivery.