Interoperability in Healthcare

Achieving Seamless Care

The Role of Interoperability and the Emerging SDC Standard for the Point-of-Care

Interoperability in healthcare is crucial as it allows different systems and applications to communicate effectively, leading to better-informed clinical decisions and improved patient outcomes. However, despite the pressing need for seamless data exchange, actual development in this area is lagging due to significant technical and regulatory challenges. The Service-oriented Device Connectivity (SDC) standard represents the only meaningful approach to enabling real-time medical device interoperability, addressing both technical and regulatory barriers.

Shifting Focus in Interoperability: The Rise of Point-of-Care SDC Standard

In many European clinics, the focus remains on inter-facility and intra-facility interoperability, emphasizing standards like FHIR. However, regulatory changes indicate that point-of-care interoperability is becoming a priority, with the SDC (Service-oriented Device Connectivity Standard ISO/IEEE 11073) emerging as a key standard for cross-vendor device connectivity. Notably, the FDA included the SDC standard in its list of recognized standards at the end of 2024, allowing medical manufacturers to utilize SDC specifications for product validation, including the 510(k) process.

The SDC standard addresses a critical gap in healthcare by facilitating semantic data exchange between devices and enabling automatic, remote device control, which reduces setup times and enhances precision of device operations. This advancement paves the way for a new generation of integrated medical devices, unlocking significant value for Medical Technology Manufacturers.

SDC Standards: Value for Point-of-Care Healthcare Stakeholders

Despite significant advancements in medical technology, interoperability gaps continue to hinder operational efficiency and optimal clinical outcomes at the point of care. Many medical devices still operate on proprietary systems, resulting in isolated information silos that are difficult to share or integrate with other systems. The SDC standard addresses these interoperability challenges and has the potential to enhance both patient care and operational efficiency. Its implementation is fundamental for optimizing communication and data exchange among medical devices from various vendors, creating numerous business benefits for stakeholders in point-of-care settings.

Healthcare Professionals

SDC not only frees up more time for healthcare professionals by delegating configuration tasks to medical devices in point-of-care scenarios. It also minimizes medical errors by enabling devices to exchange calibration data autonomously.
Hospital Operators

Implementing SDC streamlines operations for hospital operators by enabling seamless integration of medical devices. This enhances data accuracy, real-time monitoring, and overall workflow efficiency. SDC reduces maintenance costs and downtime, ultimately improving patient outcomes and providing a competitive edge in healthcare.
Medical device Manufacturers

For medical device manufacturers, adopting SDC standards can drive differentiation, prepare devices for tenders, generate structured high-quality data for optimization, and open up opportunities for developing AI-driven intelligent assistants.

SDC Standard: A Catalyst for Advancing Point-of-Care Concepts

In critical point-of-care settings such as Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and Operating Rooms (ORs), the SDC interoperability standard is a crucial enabler of transformation. By facilitating connectivity and automation, device insights can be effectively translated into action. In addition, it supports the following key concepts that enhance care in these high-stakes environments.

Silent Intensive Care Units (ICU)

Enabling continuous patient monitoring and automated alerts in intensive care.

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Smart Operating Room: Surgical Cockpit

Reduce up to 50% of the error source in the operating room for the treatment of tomorrow.

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Efficient Ambulance

Enabling more efficient workflows at the point of accident / incident or within the ambulance car through smart integration of medical device data

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Dirk Asmus

Senior Solution Specialist
ZEISS Digital Innovation Health & Life Science Solutions

8 years of experience in product management and solution design for OR integration and tele-surgery software
10 years of experience in healthcare, possessing hands-on expertise and insights into hospital workflows, particularly in acute care settings.
Expert in defining product requirements, managing roadmaps, and optimizing hardware/ software integration using healthcare interoperability standards

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Richard Bieck

Senior Solution Specialist
ZEISS Digital Innovation Health & Life Science Solutions

9 years of experience in R&D of medical assistance solutions focused on Model-Based Personalized Medicine.
Over 6 years as ISO 13485 Quality Management Representative for Medical Device Software.
Specialized in machine learning, device connectivity, and interoperability using IEEE 11073 SDC; Board Member of SDC Standard Body OR.NET.

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