HIMSS25 made one thing clear: healthcare’s data problem isn’t about quantity, it’s about quality. Organizations are drowning in data but struggling to unlock its full potential due to fragmentation, silos, and unreliable records. Across the conference, we heard the same challenges repeated:
- AI and analytics initiatives are falling short due to bad data.
- Interoperability remains a major roadblock to seamless patient and provider experiences.
- Healthcare leaders are looking for modern, scalable solutions to unify and trust their data.
Throughout the week, we had powerful conversations with healthcare executives, data leaders, and technology innovators about how to fix these problems at the foundation. Here’s what stood out:
AI is Only as Smart as Its Data
AI was a dominant topic at HIMSS, but one message stood out: AI and analytics will fail without trusted, high-quality data.
- AI is only as effective as the data feeding it. Without resolving identity and ensuring data accuracy, AI-driven insights are unreliable and can lead to poor decision-making.
- Organizations are heavily investing in AI and analytics, but many struggle with data quality. Inconsistent, incomplete, or duplicate records undermine the effectiveness of AI models, making them amplify existing errors instead of providing real value.
- AI and interoperability must go hand in hand. To truly leverage AI, organizations need a strong data governance strategy that prioritizes identity resolution, integration, and real-time data accuracy.
Interoperability & Data Integration Remain Top Priorities
Despite progress, healthcare data is still too siloed, making seamless integration a challenge. Leaders are focusing on:
- Reducing data silos to unify patient and provider records
- Adopting data standards to improve interoperability
- Leveraging cloud-based solutions for scalability and flexibility
- Enhancing workforce data skills to manage complex data environments
A Reliable Data Foundation is the Biggest Differentiator
Every organization we spoke with is prioritizing Patient, Member, and Provider 360 initiatives, but many are stalled by fragmented, inconsistent data.
- Data fragmentation is the biggest roadblock to achieving a true Patient 360. While organizations have access to massive amounts of data, a lack of a unified, trusted foundation prevents them from leveraging it effectively.
- Duplicate, mismatched, and inconsistent records create challenges for analytics and care coordination. Without strong identity resolution, organizations struggle to gain a complete and accurate view of patients and providers.
- Interoperability, AI, and digital transformation all depend on clean, connected data. If organizations don’t address identity resolution at the foundation, every downstream initiative is at risk of failure.
Baptist Health’s Success Story: A Real-World Impact of MDM
One of the most exciting takeaways from HIMSS25 was seeing real-world examples of healthcare organizations solving these challenges. Baptist Health is already seeing the impact of next-generation Master Data Management (MDM), improving:
- Collaboration across teams and systems
- Patient engagement with more accurate, unified records
- Operational efficiency by eliminating duplicate and mismatched data
Read more in Healthcare IT News.
Verato in the News: HIMSS25 Media Coverage
HIMSS25 wasn’t just about discussions: it was a major moment for industry recognition of the growing need for modern, scalable data management solutions. Verato’s leadership in healthcare data modernization, AI readiness, and identity resolution was featured across top publications.
Here’s what the industry is saying:
Healthcare IT Today explored how organizations are tackling data fragmentation and why trusted identity resolution is critical for AI and automation.
Digital Health Wire highlighted the increasing demand for high-quality, structured data to support AI initiatives in healthcare.
HIT Consultant announced the launch of Verato MDM Cloud, showcasing how it’s setting a new standard for cloud-based healthcare data management.
CityBiz detailed how next-generation MDM is helping healthcare organizations scale data governance and interoperability strategies.
As the industry moves toward AI-powered, data-driven healthcare, the need for trusted identity resolution and scalable data integration has never been clearer.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Healthcare Data Modernization
HIMSS25 reinforced that the future of healthcare depends on solving the data challenge at its foundation. Whether it’s building a reliable identity backbone, ensuring AI has trusted data, or driving interoperability, the organizations that succeed will be the ones that take a proactive, strategic approach to data modernization.
