Collaboration between health information (HI) and information technology (IT) is no longer optional. As health systems become increasingly digital, new technologies abound and HI professionals face added pressures to stay agile, informed, and integrated with their IT counterparts.
The old ways of working in silos, or waiting until IT has time to assist, no longer serve us. Furthermore, misalignments between HI and IT can impact the integrity of patient data, regulatory compliance, and the success of digital transformation initiatives.
To close the divide, HI professionals must evolve to become strategic partners who are fluent in technology’s impact, even if not fluent in code. We’ve outlined four proven strategies to help HI teams collaborate more effectively with IT and ensure patient data remains private, protected, and powerful.
Strategy 1: Communicate Cleary to Enable Progress
The first step toward improved HI-IT collaboration is clear communication. Vague requests for IT support lead to vague results.
Avoid what IT teams call the ticket trap. Simply submitting a ticket asking for “access logs” is unclear and indirect. Focus instead on translating departmental needs into outcome-focused language that makes sense to IT teams. This ticket is more actionable when written to include context. For example, “We are working with [client] to determine who has accessed recent request data, in particular, in the last three months. The format of this data matters to this client, so can we get it in the format shared in this ticket.” Then list the specific data columns needed.
IT professionals also act with more precision and urgency when they know the stakes and understand the business need behind HI requests. Without context, they are not equipped to respond or build an effective solution.
Here are three questions that provide clarity for your IT counterparts:
- What regulation are you trying to meet?
- How does the delay impact billing, operations, compliance, and patients?
- How will the IT fix help to streamline workflows across departments and with business partners?
Strategy 2: Know Enough to Translate, Not to Code
Although HI professionals don’t need to know how the technology works, they should understand basic technology functions and terminology. For example, HI teams commonly know what firewalls do, why they matter, and their positive impact on compliance and risk. But HI teams don’t need to become firewall engineers.
Here are three recommendations to help HI professionals better understand technology:
- Learn basic IT concepts related to security, infrastructure, and compliance.
- Create shadowing opportunities by encouraging IT to sit in on your processes, and offer to do the same with theirs.
- Consider joint presentations at conferences or department meetings to build shared vocabulary and collaboration.
Strategy 3: Promote Shared Outcomes, Not Siloed Roles
When HIPAA’s security rule first emerged, implementing compliance meant HI partnered deeply with IT. HI leaders did much more than lob policy over the wall and hope for execution. This principle still holds true today.
Protecting patient information is one example of a shared outcome between HI and IT. Privacy doesn’t exist without security and vice versa. A hacker must breach an organization’s systems before they can access patient data. Teams should work together to achieve the common goal of patient protection.
Begin by defining outcomes together. Instead of asking “What tool should we use?” ask “What outcome are we trying to achieve?” Then reverse-engineer solutions from there.
Appreciating the problem from both sides is essential as IT system changes commonly have the potential to cause damage elsewhere. System adjustments at the code level aren’t as easy as they seem.
Here are three actionable steps to boost mutual understanding:
- Start project planning with shared goals, not departmental key performance indicators (KPIs).
- Cross-pollinate with both IT and HI workflow sessions.
- Create organizational policy to address regulatory requirements collaboratively. Don’t retrofit policy after the system is built.
Strategy 4: Adapt to the AI Era Through Education, Empathy, and Empowerment
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the latest shiny object in healthcare. However, if implemented in a vacuum, it can be ineffective and potentially harmful. Technology alone does not solve business problems. For example, algorithms may misunderstand the business context and can automate errors at scale.
The magic happens when the users of AI and the IT teams building AI solutions understand each other. Proactive education means engaging in IT sessions, asking questions, and doing research to empower end users.
A 2024 Slingshot survey found that 77 percent of employees feel lost on how to use AI in their workflows. This includes HI professionals. The entire industry is learning in real time and from each other. Lean on IT partners as technology educators, not just service providers.
Where to begin:
- Build shared learning spaces by hosting co-learning events, AI use-case reviews, and scenario workshops.
- Create a culture where questions are encouraged and “I don’t know” is not considered a weakness.
- Develop clear guidelines for escalating issues to IT.
Collaboration Is the Real Innovation
True innovation isn’t about the newest technology tool. It’s about how people work together to use tools they already have. HI and IT bring deep expertise to the table to solve organizational business problems. However, this expertise creates value only when aligned with shared goals.
In today’s environment, HI professionals can no longer shy away from technology intricacies. And IT can’t afford to ignore the operational realities HI manages every day. For example, privacy, security, and digital innovation aren’t separate tracks. They are interconnected systems that require mutual respect and strategic alignment.
As technology rapidly advances, the global AI in healthcare market size is exploding. According to Fortune Business Insights, it is expected to grow from $39.25 billion in 2025 to $504.17 billion by 2032.
Now is the time to build better bridges. Solutions are needed to meet today’s challenges, and to prepare for tomorrow’s shifts in care delivery and business operations.
Communication, trust, empathy, and a shared understanding of the organization’s mission will always form the strongest foundations.
Angela Rose, MHA, RHIA, CHPS, FAHIMA, is Vice President of Client Success at MRO, and Mark Thomas, MBA, is Chief Technology Officer at MRO, a clinical data exchange company.
By Angela Rose, MHA, RHIA, CHPS, FAHIMA, and Mark Thomas, MBA