This post originally appeared in the Office of Global Health Newsletter and was published March 2025. This article is republished here with permission.
On March 3, a delegation from Korea Health Information Service (KHIS) visited the Department of Biomedical Informatics.
The delegation’s primary objective was to assess clinical data integration and interoperability challenges, with a focus on standards and governance in Korea’s outpatient-centric healthcare system. They sought insights into data warehousing for commercial Electronic Health Records (EHR) platforms and lessons from U.S. interoperability advancements.
A key priority was identifying high-impact applications (“killer apps”) that could drive meaningful improvements for government agencies and clinicians. We recommended prioritizing foundational clinical data applications to achieve early success and lay the groundwork for broader initiatives. Notably, our world-renowned leader in clinical decision support (CDS), Dr. Ken Kawamoto, proposed innovative solutions that could enhance decision-making and patient outcomes.
While their primary purpose was preparation for Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), they engaged with our department due to its recognized expertise, with strong indications of potential future collaboration. Discussions included opportunities for future contracts, particularly in CDS, where our team’s expertise could support Korea’s efforts to improve clinical workflows and patient care.
This visit underscored a critical global health challenge: the need for scalable, standards- based interoperability solutions that facilitate cross-border data exchange, improve care coordination, and enhance public health surveillance. By sharing U.S. best practices and fostering dialogue on clinical decision support and data integration, this engagement positioned us as a key partner for future international collaborations.
Yves A. Lussier, MD, FAMIA, FACMI is the Chair of Biomedical Informatics at University of Utah School of Medicine