Which term describes the ability to transmit and use consistent information across systems?

• A. Interoperability
• B. Security
• C. Privacy
• D. Data Integrity

Answer: (A)

Interoperability is the ability of diverse systems to exchange and use information in a way that is understandable and actionable across them. It means data can be transmitted from one system and interpreted by another in a consistent manner, supported by shared standards, formats, and semantic definitions. This ensures that when information moves between systems, it remains meaningful and usable, enabling seamless workflows and informed decisions. For example, different medical records systems exchanging lab results must not only send the data but present it in a way the receiving system can interpret (test names, units, patient identifiers). The other options focus on protecting information (security, privacy) or ensuring accuracy within a single system (data integrity), but they don’t inherently guarantee cross-system compatibility.