A dad in Michigan hand-carries paper printouts from one medical clinic to the next. Each new office hands him a clipboard. He writes the same health history, the same medications, the same surgeries, the same allergy to penicillin, again.
One lab result lives in a portal he can’t access without resetting a password. Another was faxed but never arrived. A specialist asks for imaging, but the hospital stored it on a disc and the now-obsolete disc won’t load. So the test is ordered again.
Weeks pass. He is not just fighting a condition. He is fighting a system that can’t see his whole story.
On the other side of the world, in what used to be a third-world nation, his counterpart in Jakarta, Indonesia, opens a single app on her phone. Every clinic visit, lab result and medication is there. The nurse at the clinic already knows her history. The specialist sees the same record her primary doctor sees. Her pharmacy does too.
This is interoperability in action—one patient, one record, shared securely across the system.
Indonesia’s interoperability example for the US
Indonesia’s move toward connected medical records has coincided with notable gains in life expectancy that are worth noting.
As Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. put it recently, “Indonesia today is regarded as the highest flourishing nation on earth. Since 1990 it has increased the lifespan of its women by eight years, of its men by nine years.” World Bank data bears out Kennedy’s claim.
Besides increasing Indonesians’ longevity by actually incentivizing its citizens to eat healthier (more on that below), “the other innovation that really transformed Indonesia,” Kennedy noted, “was allowing people control of their individual health records.”
Kennedy argues the US can take a similar patient-first path. It’s one that gives people control over their medical data, helps doctors see the full story, and cuts delays that cost time and compromise health.
On July 30, 2025, in an interoperability effort led by HHS and the department’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the White House announced support from more than 60 health and tech companies for a push to make personal medical data easier for Americans to access.
What is healthcare interoperability?
Interoperability in healthcare is not a portal full of scanned PDFs, emailed records, or a one-time data dump that cannot be updated or searched. Rather, interoperability means that different digital health systems can tap into the same patient information, securely and accurately. Most importantly, individuals can access the same up-to-date records their providers see.
This is not just a matter of scanning paper charts and posting health information online. True healthcare interoperability lets electronic health records (EHR) move with the patient and remain meaningful at the next clinic, hospital, lab, insurer, or pharmacy. The result is better care coordination and up-to-the-minute patient data access.
In practice, interoperability is not just file sharing. Healthcare systems need a common way to label data so an allergy, a lab test, or a medication is understood the same way everywhere. They also need permissioning and audit trails so sharing happens only with consent, and only for the right purpose.
When interoperability functions well, a doctor does not re-enter your history, order duplicate tests, or wait for faxes. Your record follows you and is usable the moment it arrives.
How interoperability works, in plain terms
To show how interoperability works in practice, let’s track a fictional patient on a healing journey. Meet Sam.
EHR platforms (Sam’s doctor’s chart)
When Sam checks in at his clinic with a medical condition, the nurse records “penicillin allergy” and “reaction: rash” in dedicated fields, not as a free-text note or a scanned page. That’s structured data—predictable entries any system can read the same way.
With Sam’s permission, the urgent care clinic he visits later can request those exact fields through an API. API stands for “application programming interface.” Think of an API as a secure doorway with agreed-upon rules: one system asks for “allergies and current meds,” the other sends a clean, usable reply.
Labs and imaging (Sam’s results)
Sam’s blood test for average blood sugar (called an A1c test) came back at 6.7 percent. The lab also included the normal range so the doctor can compare Sam’s result with what’s considered healthy. An A1c of 6.7% is above normal. In Sam’s case, this reading usually means his blood sugar has been running in the diabetic range, which has been happening over the past few months.
Because the lab entered Sam’s result in a standardized format—using fields for test name, value, units, and reference range—his doctor’s record system can automatically plot it over time, compare it to past results, and flag if it’s trending high. There’s no need for retyping and no hunting through scanned PDFs.
Imaging results are also stored with standard labels, so the next clinic can open the study and see all the notes in context.
Medications and pharmacy (Sam’s prescriptions)
His medication list uses standard drug identifiers. When a new prescription is written, connected systems can check for interactions and dose issues before anything reaches the pharmacy. Refills are clearer, and Sam leaves the doctor’s office with fewer surprises.
Insurance and claims (Sam’s paperwork)
Eligibility checks and prior authorizations move as data instead of phone calls and faxes. A prior authorization is when an insurance company requires the doctor to get approval before covering certain treatments, tests, or medications. Handling this electronically trims the back-and-forth, reduces errors, and helps appointments stay on time.
Health information exchange (the bridge when systems differ)
Sam takes a weekend trip and ends up at an urgent care facility that uses different software than his own clinic. With his okay, the facility searches the regional health information exchange and pulls a summary of what matters now—medications, allergies, problem list, and recent results.
The record that arrives is lean and useful. It’s not his entire medical history; it’s just the pieces the next clinician needs to treat him safely today.
Behind the scenes, the exchange routes requests between organizations that don’t share the same tools, so care can continue even when he’s far from home. Only the essentials are shared, and every access to his medical records is controlled and logged.
Shared data standards (a common language)
Think of data standards as the shared language that keeps details straight. “Penicillin allergy,” blood tests, and medications are labeled the same way everywhere. That consistency means Sam’s information shows up correctly whether he’s at his primary care visit, the lab, or the pharmacy. Because the labels match, results can be mapped and checked against best-practice rules without guesswork.
Patient access (Sam’s view)
Sam opens his phone and sees what his care team sees: visits, meds, allergies, and labs, all in one place. He can share a time-limited summary with a new specialist, download a copy for his records, or grant access to a trusted caregiver.
If something looks off, such as a medication he no longer takes, he can request a correction. If he chooses, he can also connect certain wellness apps, so his step count or blood pressure readings show up alongside his clinical data.
Privacy, consent, and oversight (Sam’s control)
Sharing happens with purpose and permission. Organizations follow “minimum necessary” access rules so only the needed pieces move, and every lookup leaves a trace in an access log. In an emergency, a clinician may “break glass” to view critical info, and that access is recorded and reviewed.
If Sam changes his mind, he can stop sharing. The controls are clear, and the audit trail shows who viewed his record and when. This leaves Sam in full control of his own health data.
Indonesia: a case study in interoperability
Indonesia, an island nation with a population of roughly 288 million, built one national health data platform called SATUSEHAT, which is run by its Ministry of Health. The platform connects hospitals, clinics, labs, and pharmacies, so core records travel with the patient.
That’s interoperability in action: faster referrals, safer prescribing, and care teams all seeing the same story.
“SATUSEHAT” literally means “One Health” in Indonesian. The choice of the term signifies an integrated national system that brings together patient records and services under a single, standardized digital system.
Through the same system, the government launched free health screenings in 2025. Millions of citizens have already been checked. It is well worth noting that conditions such as diabetes and heart risks are moved faster into treatment by earlier detection.
Moreover, because people use the app directly, they can see their medications and labs, set reminders, and track basics like blood pressure and glucose and insulin levels, which are the most important health markers. That helps people manage their health between visits, not just in the doctor’s office.
When information follows the patient, outcomes improve in three ways:
- First, results and images are visible everywhere the patient goes, so clinics do not repeat tests and diagnoses come sooner.
- Second, a complete list of medicines and allergies is always on hand, which prevents dangerous drug interactions and dosing mistakes.
- Third, referrals and discharge notes land with the next care team, so follow-up actually happens.
An example: A man with chest pain shows up at a different hospital than usual. The emergency doctor can see his troponin and ECG from the prior visit, his stent history, and his current medicines. He can treat the patient immediately instead of repeating tests. This obviously saves lives and accelerates the delivery of the right care.
It is important to add that though Indonesia’s system is innovative, it is still quite young and will therefore require ongoing improvements in coming years.
Innovative incentives toward healthier eating
Hand in hand with its interoperability efforts, Indonesia has launched a health improvement campaign by making ultra-processed foods less attractive. Regulators are moving toward front-of-package nutrition labels that put a simple warning or grade on the front of the product. They also are setting upper limits for sugar, salt, and fat in packaged foods.
A sugary-drink excise tax is also planned. It will be a small extra charge on beverages with high added sugar, so the sweetest options cost a bit more.
What this might look like in real life: Sumiati stops at a minimarket after work. A sweet bottled tea carries a front-of-package “high sugar” mark and costs a little more because of the tax. Plain water and unsweetened tea have no warning and are cheaper. Both the warning label and the lower price lead Sumiati to opt for the regular unsweetened tea.
Multiply that by millions of small choices, and diets shift a notch healthier. Meanwhile, nutritious free meals offered to children and mothers at schools reinforce the same habits.
These behavioral shifts, combined with the interoperability approach, reduce the risk of medical conditions across the population, since the connected health record system helps people spot problems caused by harmful dietary habits early and stay on track between visits to health care providers.
Indonesia’s health initiatives add up
Indonesia’s life expectancy is now about 71 years (2023). It will take time to pin down how big the impact of Indonesia’s national connected health record platform and app (SATUSAT) is. However, the building blocks are clear: one connected record system, free national screenings, and an app people use to keep up with meds, labs and reminders.
Paired with prominent nutrition labels on packaged food, limits on sugar, salt, and fat, and a planned excise tax on sugary drinks that nudges consumer choices away from ultra-processed products, the logic is simple: better information + free health screening + earlier detection + steady follow through + healthier default choices = longer, healthier lives.
Where the US is headed: interoperability plus privacy
The United States is also moving toward health records that follow you, securely and on your terms—and that allows care providers to see what they need without a scavenger hunt.
HHS Secretary Kennedy and the Trump administration are pushing in this direction by building on the 2020 HHS rules from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). In plain English: they banned “information blocking” and required APIs so patients can use phone apps to pull their own records.
The health industry is leaning in too, from easing prior-authorization friction to phasing out synthetic food dyes that affect health.
To put a face on it, RFK Jr. points to Indonesia’s example: let people carry their records in a simple app, and care improves everywhere they go. As he puts it, when you show up at a health facility out of town, your information “is available, and it allows them to give better treatment.”
The role of HIPAA in interoperability
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 or HIPAA—often misspelled “HIPPA”—is the federal law that sets the rules for how doctors, hospitals, and insurers must protect and share your health data.
So, how much government involvement or access would be included in a US interoperability system?
In a nutshell, the government sets standards, enforces rules, and punishes misuse. It does not read your chart. Agencies don’t get automatic access to your medical record. Sharing beyond your care team requires your consent, unless a specific law applies (for example, certain public-health reporting requirements or a court order).
Privacy-wise, the boundary line is this: inside clinics, hospitals, and health plans, HIPAA safeguards apply. If you choose to use a third-party app that isn’t acting on behalf of your provider, HIPAA may not apply—so the app’s own policy and state privacy laws matter.
The fix is straightforward: one-screen consent, clear notices when data leaves HIPAA protection, a simple button to delete your data, and using the same formats everywhere so information can transfer cleanly without exposing extra details.
Challenges to US interoperability
Perhaps the two biggest hurdles to implementing operability in the US are fragmented record systems that don’t speak the same language, and public trust.
Privacy and control
People worry about who can see their data and where it goes—especially when information moves from HIPAA-covered providers to consumer apps that may not follow the same rules. Plus, consent screens tend to be long and confusing.
What helps improve public trust: one page consent, clear notices when data leaves HIPAA protection, a simple “delete my data” control, and strong audit trails.
Data quality and incentives
When records live in incompatible formats, sharing is clunky or incomplete. Fields like “medications” or “allergies” don’t always line up, matching information to the right person can fail, and small clinics often can’t afford frequent upgrades to their software systems.
Even with connections in place, messy data can reduce the value of the shared information. This means that the results need standard names, units, and codes, so systems can combine and compare them without retyping.
On the business side, some providers still see sharing as risky or costly. Things are also slowed down by different privacy rules and uneven enforcement of information-blocking bans in different states.
The bottom line is that progress toward interoperability in the US depends on trust and alignment. This points to keeping the rules simple and consistent across the country, and making patient choices obvious at a glance.
What nationwide interoperability could unlock in the US
Done right, nationwide interoperability would help people stay healthier. Preventive care and chronic disease management get easier when your history, meds, and labs are visible to every clinician—and to you—in one place.
The economics are real, too. Cleaner data flows cut duplicate tests, speed diagnoses, and reduce avoidable hospital visits. Less time chasing records means more time caring for patients.
Indonesia shows the destination: simple tools that give people control of their records. The US has momentum from recent federal rules. The next step is to make that access seamless in everyday care.
For US policymakers, priorities include clear standards, enforcement of information-blocking bans, funding for exchange of information infrastructure, and plain-language consent when data moves beyond HIPAA protection. Privacy needs to be protected with firm penalties, and consumer apps must be required to give people an easy, obvious way to manage their medical data.
For providers, at the top of the list is mapping data to common standards, improving data quality, and building “share by default, with consent” pathways into workflows. Their task is to measure what matters: fewer repeats, faster follow-up, and better outcomes.
For patients, here’s what lies ahead: choosing a trustworthy health app, connecting your portals, reviewing your allergies and meds, and sharing only when it helps your care. Your consent should be one screen, reversible and easy.
The long view is hopeful. In the US, a HIPAA-compliant, nationwide system that keeps control in the hands of people—not government—can deliver safer care at lower cost. That is the road ahead.
