Making Patient Data Portable Across Departments and Providers
The goal of data portability within the connected care continuum isn’t giving clinicians more data, Husainy says. Instead, it’s providing data that’s standardized, timely and actionable — and available within existing clinical applications and workflows.
At NewYork-Presbyterian, that means using an integrated electronic health record system available to providers across ambulatory, acute and post‑acute environments, Umejei says: “That enables clinicians to collaborate around a unified, accurate picture of the patient’s health.”
An EHR system helps in a few other ways, Umejei adds.
- It integrates with regional and national health information exchange entities, breaking down data silos between disparate institutions.
- It also integrates with artificial intelligence tools that support ambient documentation, remote patient monitoring and clinical decision support.
- It connects to other clinical systems using traditional Health Level 7 International standards and modern open application programming interfaces. This is particularly useful for supporting virtual care and RPM as part of his health system’s recently launched Hospital at Home
As patients move back and forth across care settings, clinical teams need visibility into what’s happening to patients, Husainy says: “You need data that allows you to drive value. You need the data point that might drive reduced care quality or increased risk of morbidity.”
In traditional care settings, a clinician with a 1,000-patient panel would need to make 1,000 phone calls or schedule 1,000 visits to get this insight. Now, the ability to upload and analyze patient data lets providers see their highest-risk patients at one glance and know who requires their attention.
“We can look at population health management in a different way,” he says. “We have an opportunity to transform the way we care for people.”
DISCOVER: Use technology as a force multiplier for healthcare teams.
Senior Living and Long-Term Care: Technology Strategies for High-Transition Populations
A 2025 paper in Telehealth and Medicine Today notes the potential for a continuum of care to support “formal and informal” healthcare: remote monitoring via implanted devices, durable medical equipment, proper storage of insulin and other medications, opportunities to build social connections, and so on. This presents opportunities to extend the continuum of care into senior care communities, where residents, caregivers and staff are increasingly amenable to using technology to improve quality of life.
However, using devices and applications to support care often requires a degree of expertise in technical literacy, equipment management, supply chain management and cybersecurity. Here, the paper notes, it’s important for the providers within the connected care continuum to offer “connections, remote monitoring, safety, and security” to patients and their caregivers.
One important distinction between the senior care community and other venues in the connected care continuum is the importance of physical space for technology support. For starters, virtual training and troubleshooting may not meet the needs of all residents and their families. In addition, hands-on demos are ideal for smart home technology, especially when conveying ease of use — such as a device working without a smartphone app or Wi-Fi connection — is critical to getting user buy-in.
