Healthcare interoperability has been a top priority for the past two decades. And by most measures, the infrastructure is in place. Patient records move between providers, EHRs connect to labs, and data flows in ways that weren’t possible before.
Most practices have these connections in place. But now, they’re discovering that having connected systems is only part of the equation.
Interoperability is no longer the primary challenge. The bigger question is whether the data moving through those connections is actually ready to use. At HIMSS26, Christy Bricker of Murj made the case that connectivity alone leaves the job unfinished, according to Healthcare IT News.
What clinical teams actually need is data that holds up the moment it lands. That means no duplicate charts to reconcile, no outdated insurance details to chase down, and no missing fields that stall the visit before it starts. Data readiness is a workflow problem, and solving it starts earlier than most practices think.
When Connected Systems Aren’t Enough
The conversation around healthcare interoperability has shifted. For years, the central question was whether systems could connect. At HIMSS26, that question gave way to a more pressing one: is the data those systems exchange actually usable?
Christy Bricker, VP of Strategic Operations at Murj, put it directly: “Interoperability without data readiness is incomplete.” The organizations best positioned moving forward are those investing in data quality, not just connectivity.
Why Connected Systems Don’t Automatically Create Efficient Workflows
Interoperability has moved beyond the question of whether systems can connect. The technology exists. Where practices still struggle is in translating that connectivity into daily healthcare workflows that actually run smoothly.
Most health systems have spent years building integrations between platforms, and that technical lift is largely behind them. But in some clinical databases, error rates reach as high as 50%, and in others, fewer than half of listed patients are active.
This gap shows up in daily operations. Staff spend time resolving data issues that connected systems were supposed to eliminate. As Bricker noted, the goal has evolved from moving data between systems to making sure data is ready to support clinical decision-making.
Where the Bottleneck Actually Lives
Most practices look to their systems when workflows break down, but the source of the problem is usually further back. Data readiness is determined at the point of collection when a patient first shares their information.
Bricker’s advice to CIOs and IT leaders is to shift focus from integration counts to data quality and operational usability. Most data problems aren’t created in transit. Instead, they originate at the point of collection.
In other words, the intake process shapes everything that follows: how reliably data moves between systems, how much manual effort staff expend, and how confidently clinical teams can act on the information in front of them.
By the time data reaches a clinical workflow, its quality is already set. Investing in how information is collected from the very first patient interaction is what gives interoperability a strong foundation to build on.
The Real Measure of a Connected System
A practice’s interoperability investment delivers value when workflow automations run without interruption and when care coordination happens across the full patient journey. That outcome depends on the quality of data entering the system, starting at intake.
How FormDr Turns Interoperability Into Operational Efficiency
The gap between connected systems and efficient workflows is a data collection problem. FormDr is built to close it. By standardizing how patient information enters the system from the very first interaction, FormDr’s patient engagement platform gives practices the structured data that makes every downstream workflow perform as intended.
Structured Data Collection from the Start
Patient intake is where data quality is won or lost. HIPAA-compliant digital forms collect complete, consistently structured information before a patient ever arrives for their appointment.
With required fields that patients must complete before submitting, incomplete records become the exception rather than the rule. Staff spend less time chasing missing information and more time focused on care.
Forms That Talk to Your EHR
Collecting clean data is only valuable when it flows where it needs to go. FormDr integrates directly with EHR systems, so patient information moves automatically into clinical records without manual re-entry.
EHR integration connection means the data clinical teams rely on is accurate and ready to use from the moment it lands, supporting faster decisions and smoother care coordination across the patient journey.
Workflows Built Around Information Flow
FormDr brings together digital intake, automated form delivery, and EHR integration into a single platform. Together, these tools remove the manual handoffs that slow information down and create opportunities for error.
The result is a practice where data sharing is built into the workflow from the start, and interoperability delivers the operational value it was always meant to.
Data Readiness Starts at the Source
Maximizing value from interoperability investments means paying attention to data quality before it travels anywhere. Connected systems are only as valuable as the data running through them.
As Bricker put it at HIMSS26, health systems do not need more pipes. They need accurate, usable data that supports care delivery, governance, and long-term scalability.
Bricker’s advice to healthcare leaders is to audit existing data before migration, establish clear data governance, and work with vendors who have real experience validating and cleaning clinical data. The goal is to make sure that only reliable information makes it into the system in the first place.
Patient information that enters the system complete from the very first interaction gives care teams the confidence to act on it immediately. Workflows run more smoothly, and the investment in interoperability starts delivering real, day-to-day value.
Putting Healthcare Interoperability to Work
Healthcare has made significant progress connecting systems and moving data. The next step is making sure that data creates real value once it arrives. That happens through workflows designed around data quality and meaningful patient engagement, starting at the very first point of contact.
FormDoctor helps practices build that foundation. From structured digital intake to EHR integration, FormDoctor gives patient information a clear path into the system while keeping it accurate, complete, and ready to use. The result is less time spent on manual work and more time focused on patient care.
