CIOs: interoperability is foundational — costs block adoption
A new CIO survey found 82% say interoperability must be foundational for future EHR investments, yet 63% point to integration costs and legacy fragmentation as the main barriers to adoption. Buyers now expect interoperability to be 'baked in' and view seamless EDI/claims integration as a key differentiator. (prnewswire.com)
CliniComp published CHIME Foundation survey results on March 24, 2026 reporting that nearly 90% of surveyed health IT leaders say vendor consolidation is crucial to their interoperability strategy. (PR Newswire: ) Only 16% of respondents said their core EHR currently provides vendor‑agnostic interoperability, according to the same release. (PR Newswire: ) CIOs identified the cost of initial and ongoing integration (47%) and vendor unwillingness or delays (42%) as the top implementation barriers, with many relying on bolted‑on or one‑off integrations. (PR Newswire: ) Survey respondents reported expected clinical and operational returns from interoperability: 58% cited improved care coordination and 37% cited improved patient safety, reduced medical errors, or lower duplication of effort. (PR Newswire: ) Many CIOs representing hospitals with 500+ beds said their organizations cannot currently perform all four interoperability domains—sending, receiving, finding, and integrating data. (PR Newswire: ) A separate CHIME/RLDatix leadership pulse released Feb. 19, 2026 found 80% of respondents call interoperability a top priority, 76% say tool sprawl impedes operations, and 74% list integration with existing systems (including the EHR) as a key selection factor for future platforms. (PR Newswire: ) Survey participants pointed to industry consortiums first, then EHR vendors and health systems, as the parties who should drive interoperability progress and better support integration and vendor‑agnostic capabilities. (PR Newswire: )
