We’ve now discussed how terminology standards facilitate semantic interoperability and exchange standards facilitate structural interoperability in the world of health care. At a higher level, organizations need to agree on policies and practices for systems to be interoperable.

Organizational interoperability in health information systems refers to the ability of different organizations, such as hospitals, clinics, laboratories, pharmacies, and public health agencies, to effectively exchange and use health information, even if they use different systems or processes. This type of interoperability goes beyond technical data exchange and includes aligning policies, workflows, and governance structures to ensure that data can be used meaningfully across organizations.