Rural Health Has a Last-Mile Data Problem. FHIR Is Part of the Answer.

HL7 International "Setting the World on FHIR" 2026 case study featuring Primary Record, a patient-directed health record platform built on FHIR standards

Health systems have made real progress on interoperability. But outside clinical walls, rural care teams, community paramedics, and family caregivers are still stitching records together by hand. Primary Record co-founder Jean Ross, RN, on the last-mile data problem in care coordination, and what FHIR can and can’t yet solve.

Why Do We Build Medical Care Pathways But Not Social Ones?

Two people sorting medications into a weekly pill organizer surrounded by multiple prescription bottles and discharge paperwork on a table — a community health worker helping a patient with medication reconciliation after hospital discharge.

We’ve spent decades building clinical pathways for heart failure: the drugs, the testing intervals, the escalation triggers. But the pathway stops at the hospital door. The community paramedic, the area agency on aging, the community health worker, they’re doing the work that keeps patients out of the ER, and none of them are in the same system, reliably funded, or connected to each other. It’s time to build the care pathway that starts when the patient goes home.

Interoperability Isn’t a Technology Problem Anymore. It’s a Trust Problem.

Two adults smiling on a tablet video call with a remote family member, representing trust and connection in healthcare data sharing.

For years, healthcare data sharing has been treated as a technology problem. But faster software and better standards haven’t solved the real barrier: trust. As information moves across hospitals, communities, and homes, the question isn’t whether we can share data, it’s whether we’ve built the trust systems needed to do it safely and well.

Who Will Make My Medical Decisions? Childfree Trust’s Care Planning Model

Childfree Trust logo representing professional medical and financial power of attorney support for people without family decision-makers

The launch of Childfree Trust signals a shift the advocacy and life care planning community has long been preparing for: planning isn’t just about naming someone, it’s about equipping them. This article examines the hidden labor behind POA and fiduciary roles, and why shared, living information is essential to confident, compassionate care.

Why ‘Just Give Me Your Login’ Puts Caregivers and Advocates at Risk

Patient portal login screen showing username and password fields, illustrating the risks of sharing patient portal login credentials

Many patient advocates and caregivers rely on shared logins or HIPAA authorizations to access medical records, often without realizing the legal and ethical risks. This article explains the critical difference between HIPAA Authorization and the HIPAA Right of Access, and what safer, patient-directed access really looks like.

The ROI of Patient Access APIs That No Health Plan Is Measuring…Yet

A graphic showing that “care teams” include many community providers, family caregivers, and non-medical supports beyond what’s captured in the medical chart. Includes logos from health systems, pharmacies, transportation services, home care, specialists, diagnostics, and community programs.

Health plans have spent millions building Patient Access APIs, but few understand what actually happens once the data reaches members and caregivers. Real ROI doesn’t come from FHIR servers or compliance checkboxes. It comes from the last mile of interoperability: when families can finally see, understand, and use their own data to prevent crises, close care gaps, and make better decisions at key moments of care.