Healthcare industry leaders have long been debating how to break down internal silos between teams and departments. But with advances in modern healthcare technology and the surging expertise of digital health, it’s becoming possible to break down data silos and connect fragmented workflows to create better communication and innovation between various partner organizations within a healthcare ecosystem.
The business case for radical collaboration in healthcare
When commercial healthcare organizations operate as part of an ecosystem rather than in isolation, they unlock the conditions for true innovation, says Chris Sullivan, Vice President and General Manager, Pharmacy and Health Technology Solutions, Wolters Kluwer Health. “This requires rethinking how care is delivered and building seamless, interoperable systems – marking a fundamental transformation, not just incremental change.”
That ecosystem includes:
- Life sciences organizations: Consistency and alignment with stakeholders helps life sciences organizations build more trust with healthcare providers, streamline compliance reviews, and accelerate drug development.
- Retail pharmacies: In order for pharmacies to expand patient care service lines, they need to become more connected with other commercial healthcare organizations and streamline reimbursement processes.
- Health plans: Breaking down barriers to align with providers helps payers provide a better member experience, and with real-time data updates to support informed business decisions, plans can model risks and counter business cost pressures.
- Digital health technology vendors: Aligning with ecosystem partners enables developers to build more effective workflows that meet professional and patient needs and reduce administrative burdens.
Collaboration and alignment help care teams connect the dots, explains Alex Tyrrell, PhD, Head of Advanced Technology, Wolters Kluwer, and Chief Technology Officer, Wolters Kluwer Health. Because there are more meaningful insights at the point of care, there is less noise to get in the way of a meaningful interaction. As a result, patients and members would benefit from earlier detection and proactive intervention, while feeling both heard and supported at times of uncertainty.
“It becomes a context-aware and patient-focused experience,” Tyrrell says. “That paves the way for coordinated care across multidisciplinary teams, seamless handoffs, authentic encounters, meaningful discussions, and greater situational awareness about what’s happening to a patient. It also puts clinical teams in a position to deliver tailored, personalized care plans and explanations that firmly align with a patient’s medical history and personal wishes.”
