Why is healthcare data integration so important? An individual patient record might be created in a traditional electronic health record (EHR) system, but have pertinent data stored in a laboratory information system, medication records in a pharmacy system, imaging in a PACS, and billing information hosted by a payer. Other data could come from medical devices and analytics platforms.
Healthcare data integration has to account for formats, identifiers, terminology, timing, and the context surrounding each record. Otherwise, information can arrive incomplete, duplicative, delayed, or difficult for another system to understand.
Not all healthcare software can store and transmit information in the same structure and format. One platform might require an HL7 message, while others might work better with FHIR, C-CDA, an API connection, or a direct database connection. This is true on both the sending and receiving ends of each transmission to make sure information is not lost in translation.
According to a report by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), 91% of non-federal acute care hospitals in the United States in 2024 reported having used data generated by technology outside their EHR for at least one clinical function. Only 52% had done this through standards-based APIs.
This disparity highlights the importance of connectivity and integration.
When incompatible systems exchange information, several problems can appear between the source and destination.
|
Data challenge |
Potential result |
|
Different data formats |
The need for data translation before use |
|
Mismatched patient identifiers |
Difficulty matching records accurately |
|
Missing fields |
Incomplete records in the receiving system |
|
Different terminology |
Same clinical concepts may be represented differently |
|
Duplicate records |
Users may see repeated information |
|
Delayed updates |
Data may not reflect the latest event or status |
These challenges may go beyond technical processes. Incomplete documentation makes it hard for healthcare professionals to rely on the same information.
In other words, access does not equal usability. According to another ONC report, one based on 2023 American Hospital Association data, 71% of hospitals consistently had access to essential clinical information from other organizations, but only 42% of the hospitals had clinicians who used such information in the care process.
Successful integration provides a translation and validation layer between systems. Rather than having each link represent a unique point-to-point interaction, an integration platform like Hart’s HealthSync™ can ingest information, convert it to a standardized form, validate it, and then deliver it securely to its intended recipient.
This is the practical foundation of healthcare interoperability. The objective is not simply to make systems communicate, but to make the information they exchange usable at the point of care.
EHRs are central to information flow in healthcare, but many organizations continue to use multiple EHRs, thanks to factors including mergers and acquisitions as well as past purchases of ancillary systems and other department-specific software. Modern EHR data integration platforms therefore need to accommodate different vendors and technologies without requiring every organization to replace current systems.
HealthSync™ supports FHIR, HL7, C-CDA, direct database connectivity, batch pipelines, and stream processing, and is capable of integrating data from more than 150 different vendors of EHRs and clinical systems.
Reliable healthcare data exchange depends on more than APIs, though. It requires standards, data-quality controls, appropriate mapping, validation, security, and visibility into what happened to information during transmission.
An adaptable architecture is critical for those who have to manage multiple information sources because disconnected EHRs, departmental applications, and third-party platforms can create barriers to usable information. Hart’s HealthSync™ helps overcome these barriers.