The case for network-based interoperability

In Deloitte’s 2026 U.S. Health Care Outlook report, the global professional services firm emphasized the importance of healthcare organizations empowering consumer health through digital experiences and scaling artificial intelligence (AI) to modernize operations.¹ Yet many providers struggle as they seek to achieve such goals because they must deal with a fragmented data ecosystem, said Sam Lambson, Vice President, Data and Ecosystem for athenahealth.

“Interfaces, specifically HL7 interfaces, have become a prolific mode of integration between different data systems,” he explained. “They require a lot of setup and there are lot of costs associated with them, so you won’t find them at every practice. There’s simply not enough time or money to make interfaces for every clinic in a health system’s environment.”

Because care is distributed across acute and ambulatory providers, this type of disconnected data ecosystem can disrupt care delivery and long-term care management. Lambson said it creates a “swivel chair” experience for providers where they must use multiple systems to do their jobs, including telephones or fax machines to send referrals, order lab tests or request medical records.

“When you have to rely on this type of archaic communication, there’s a bigger chance that important data goes missing,” he said. “Maybe a patient’s lab tests end up getting lost, or something important that might change a clinical decision is missing from the patient’s medical history.”

Supporting AI implementation through connection

Many hospitals and health systems are looking to AI to help streamline both clinical and operational processes. But, Lambson noted, the ability to successfully implement those tools requires seamless interoperability.

“AI is only as good as the data you give it,” he said. “For hospitals looking to go beyond ambient listening to do things like pre-visit planning or care management, you need to make sure the application has access to outside information to provide the full context of the patient.”

Seamless interoperability through a cloud-based, single instance platform, known as network-based participation, can unlock the complete patient story. It supplies critical information when and where it’s needed most to improve patient outcomes. When providers have access to this kind of interoperability, they can be confident that any AI tools in use will have the data required to return credible and actionable results. In addition, healthcare organizations can ensure a strong return on investment on the AI investments they make.

The next phase of interoperability

Network-based participation is emerging as the next phase of interoperability, according to Lambson. It provides healthcare organizations real-time data sharing through standardized HL7 and FHIR protocols, as well as participation in data exchange frameworks like TEFCA and CommonWell. Together, they reinforce unified data flow.

Those same digital connections also ensure that new technology investments, including AI applications, are scalable and sustainable even for smaller ambulatory providers that may lack the means to build larger-scale data sharing networks on their own. Network-based participation can also unlock data to support enhanced decision-making at the point of care, care coordination across different providers and internal quality improvement programs. A single connection opens the door for a wide range of powerful clinical and operational use cases.

“You don’t have to do point-to-point connections with everyone. When you partner with someone who can offer you access to a single hub unifying providers, payers and other organizations, it becomes much easier to share the data you need to,” Lambson said.

“[Network-based participation] has the standards, connections and data that will drive real clinical and operational benefit.”

Reference

1. Janisch, A., Gerhardt, W., and Shukla, M. December 11. 2025. 2026 U.S. health care outlook. Deloitte Insights. https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/health-care/life-sciences-and-health-care-industry-outlooks/2026-us-health-care-executive-outlook.html.