At the end of the day, patients are the only constant in their care journey. We need the right tools and access to manage our health.
Interoperability isn’t just another tech buzzword anymore – it’s the key of a healthcare system that actually works for people.
On paper, it means different digital systems speaking to each other. But in reality, it’s about whether you lose your sanity because a doctor never received your test results, despite waiting months for an appointment.
Right now, our healthcare system is a patchwork of digital and paper processes. Every clinic seems to have its own software, and each clinician uses that software in their own way.
When these systems don’t talk to one another, the responsibility for bridging the gap falls somewhere. Too often, it lands the stressed-out patient, or the already overwhelmed clinician trying to care for them.
Referral pain
Anyone who’s juggled care between clinics or healthcare providers knows the grind and confusion of sorting out referrals and test results. A lot depends on your doctor’s habits, the software they use, and how much multitasking they do during your visit.
Many clinicians would rather spend time connecting with you, not clicking through forms, which sometimes leads to things slipping through the cracks.
Take this recent experience: I waited three months for a specialist appointment with a doctor already running an hour behind. When I finally got called in, she told me: “I have your referral, but your surgeon didn’t send me your results.”
I screamed (silently inside).
Thankfully, I had my report in the My Health App. That made it one of my most productive consults ever. But what if I hadn’t had My Health Record? I’d have wasted months waiting, only to walk away unfinished—and probably face another costly visit.
Sometimes your GP emails your results, other times you get them on paper or SMS. In just one round of care, you might get a test request on paper, a pathology SMS, a printed report, and an emailed referral.
Once in a while, someone from the referring clinic follows up … but usually, you’re left wondering if the information really got through or you could one of those lucky ones who just rock up to the next appointment and it works out.
Only recently did I learn there’s a triage process for referrals, which may explain long waits (wouldn’t it help to get a message like, “We got your referral and will contact you in X days”?). In many cases, information never makes it where it’s needed, often because the systems don’t connect, or someone assumes the hand-off is someone else’s job. Spoiler: that someone is probably you.
Why don’t we have reminders when important things like results or referral letters go missing? Apps can nudge you about bookings, but rarely about a blood test report that’s not yet arrived at your doctor so you’ll have to postpone the appointment.
When systems aren’t interoperable, follow-ups just fall through … it becomes your problem to notice what’s missing, or the clinician’s, if you or they happen to remember.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Interoperability and health tech solutions shouldn’t just keep information flowing behind the scenes for clinicians – they should also make key details visible and accessible to patients.
Imagine systems and apps that let you track your referral progress, receive smart alerts when your results are in (or missing), or get updates when a booking needs action.
When both clinicians and patients are kept in the loop, uncertainty and stress are replaced with clarity and confidence.
One might worry that giving patients direct access might be too overwhelming but in my experience timely updates can empower, reduce anxiety, and help ensure that nothing important falls through the cracks. I feel that this can ease the burden on clinics – improving safety, trust, and the overall care experience for everyone involved.
Of course, there are plenty of software solutions out there.
Clinics may use systems like Best Practice, MediRecords, Gentu, alongside HotDoc, and Healthengine, all of which offer robust features – but the real question is, do clinicians and their staff actually use them to their full potential?
Because, guess what, all clinicians operate differently. Even within one clinic – one doctor uses AI scribe, one doesn’t. In another practice, one GP always defaults to eScripts, the other defaults to paper scripts.
Rather than leaving all the innovation to clinic systems, imagine what could be possible if we let patient-driven tech bridge these gaps, so your care doesn’t depend on which clinic you happen to see.
It shouldn’t be on them, it should be on us
I know this might be an unpopular opinion, but we’re really the only constant in our personal health journeys, so we need to take responsibility.
I see practice staff and clinicians juggling the impossible every day – working with whatever systems their clinic uses, dealing with the latest payment mess, or just hoping the next patient doesn’t get upset about doctors running late or the admin chaos.
I used to get frustrated by the whole “I don’t have all your results here” situation, but once I was in the consult, I’d realise clinicians are focused on saving lives – including mine. The last thing I want is to add to their load by asking them to reissue referrals or hunt down paperwork that’s fallen through the cracks.
Clinic staff are dealing with people problems and admin chaos. Adding more disconnected tech to the mix doesn’t help – it just makes things harder.
Expecting frontline staff to catch every glitch from patchy workflows is not sustainable. Blaming vendors or a single system only goes so far. It’s about how we share information, use digital tools, and follow up, just as much as any backend API.
If we’re serious about progress, we need to do more than upskill staff. We need tools that fit real life and actually bridge the messy workflows of people, tech, and admin. Everyone—patients, carers, clinicians – should be able to use the tools in the way that makes sense for them.
Pushing everyone into the same rigid box doesn’t work, and if clinics and software vendors don’t focus on actually connecting the dots, the burden will keep falling to those least equipped to carry it.
Why we all need back-up
My mum’s recent experience is a perfect example of why this matters so much.
She needed urgent tests while visiting me from interstate and almost delayed them, worried her regular GP wouldn’t get the results. “Don’t worry!” I said, with all the confidence of a tech-savvy daughter. “It will all just show up in My Health Record. Look how it shows up in mine.“
Unfortunately, trying to get her access to the My Health app was excruciating pain, much like how comedian Ronny Chieng describes it in his sketch, or how HSD editor Cate Swannell described her experience.
We couldn’t get that sorted, her regular GP never received the results, and she ended up paying admin fees to send info between practices. She was super stressed telling me over the phone as she was anxiously waiting for the results and what to do next.
Recently, I tried filling out her pre-hospital admission forms online on her behalf, but we couldn’t enable ‘Carer mode’ in My Health App to make it easier for me. She ended up sending me countless photos – discharge summaries, pathology reports, and more.
At least with her Active Script List in Scripty (of course), I could see her medicines list and had the medication history section all sorted.
But really, there’s no single solution that fits all the time, every person, or every tech hiccup. Openness and interoperability make care more resilient for these real-life messes and help when things go sideways.
Closed systems don’t belong in healthcare
So what do we do next?
We need to expect more from the people building and setting policy for our health tech. Closed, “one-size-fits-all” systems aren’t good enough. True interoperability means breaking down barriers, not building bigger silos.
For health tech developers: Build products with the whole care team and the patient in mind. Every time a system locks away information, it adds stress and risk for patients – often those who are already the most vulnerable.
For policymakers: The AMA’s recent Digital Interoperability report shows how the US and Europe are moving forward with serious rules — mandating standards, penalising information blockers. We need the same: a national framework with clear expectations, proper funding and support, and importantly, reasons for vendors to get excited about building solutions that work for everyone.
For everyone else: Communities like HL7 Australia and Sparked AU do a great job of keeping these conversations going. They bring together techies, clinicians, and patients to share stories and push for practical solutions. These need to keep the momentum going and we need more people involved!
At the end of the day, patients are the only constant in their care journey. We need the right tools and access to manage our health. True interoperability blends technology with real-world common sense, helping everyone close communication gaps so no one is left carrying the burden alone.
Let’s improve our healthcare system that connects us, empowers us, and keeps us sane!
Mina Giang is co-founder and head of product and experiences at Oexa, a Brisbane-based digital health technology company which created the Scripty app, a consumer-focused, free digital wallet that integrates with the national Active Script List.
This article was first published on Ms Giang’s LinkedIn feed. Read the original article here.
