Ten Reasons Why Interoperability Is Difficult

In this chapter, we define interoperability simply as the electronic sharing of information among systems. We describe ten barriers to interoperability, including technical, financial, organizational, legal, and cultural factors that affect information-sharing, and provide a perspective on the policy and practical challenges of building infrastructure under the Health Information Technology Clinical Health Act (HITECH). We close by making some observations about what has been learned and how those lessons might apply to future policy goals.