Deploying Patient-Facing Application Programming Interfaces: Thematic Analysis of Health System Experiences.

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Digital Health
• Health Information Technology

Background:

• Health systems are increasingly implementing patient-facing application programming interfaces (APIs).
• These APIs aim to enhance patient access to health data and facilitate digital interactions.
• This shift represents a significant development in patient engagement and data management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess health systems' understanding, strategies, and infrastructure related to patient-facing APIs.
• To identify key business drivers and barriers influencing the adoption and use of these APIs.
• To inform national strategies, policy development, and best practices for API implementation.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative content analysis was conducted.
• Semistructured interviews were performed with 10 leading health technology adopters.
• Participants included health systems that had implemented or planned to implement patient-facing APIs.

Main Results:

• Eight of the 10 interviewed health systems had operational patient-facing APIs.
• Primary drivers included federal policy, Health Records on iPhone, and ethical obligations.
• Top barriers were security concerns, an immature app ecosystem, lack of business drivers, EHR vendor reluctance, and immature technology/standards.

Conclusions:

• Significant heterogeneity exists in health systems' approaches to patient-facing APIs.
• Addressing security, app ecosystem maturity, and vendor engagement is crucial.
• Continued research, policy interventions, and best practice sharing are needed for successful national adoption.