In this new blog from Ken Burton, National Leader, Enterprise Imaging and Data (U.S. and Canada) at BridgeHead Software, he discusses the chaos reigning across the clinical data landscape – resulting from disparate, fragmented systems and siloed data – and the resulting impact on clinical efficiency and effectiveness. He explores how a Clinical Data Repository (CDR) can help healthcare leaders overcome the chaos and regain control of their data, ensuring clinicians have secure access to the information they need, when and where they need it.
Clinical data – it’s messy out there
Today’s healthcare organizations are drowning in a flood of fragmented applications and siloed clinical data. This can leave clinicians – whether radiologists, cardiologists, oncologists, or frontline providers – scrambling to piece together patient information spread across multiple platforms to consult, diagnose, treat or refer patients. This inefficiency doesn’t just waste time; it impacts clinical decision-making and, ultimately, patient outcomes.
Despite significant investment in Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), approximately 70% of patient data still resides elsewhere in disparate systems, preventing seamless access to a complete patient history. It’s not uncommon for clinicians to log into multiple applications in order to find the data they need – whether an imaging study, a diagnostic report, pathology results – the list continues. This creates delays, frustration, and, in some cases, clinical risk.
The challenge: too many systems, not enough integration
The modern healthcare landscape is a maze of fragmented systems, siloed data, and an overwhelming variety of clinical tools. As we’ve seen, clinical workflows become inefficient and the burden of navigating disparate platforms falls on the very people responsible for patient care. But where is all this data coming from?
Where is my clinical data?
The reason clinical data is difficult to manage and leverage is simply because its spread throughout healthcare organizations. For expediency, I’ve tried to summarize and contextualize where clinical data is generated and resides:
- Service lines producing medical imaging & clinical data
Departments such as radiology, cardiology, oncology, surgery, women’s health, endoscopy, and more all produce essential patient and clinical data - Clinical systems & tools
Then there are a wide range of holistic, departmental and specialist applications, such as EMRs, PACS, RIS, LIS, CVIS, AI & analytics platforms, patient sensors, mobile apps, and diagnostic viewers – all contributing to an increasingly fragmented ecosystem - Diverse data types
And data comes in all different shapes, sizes, and formats, such as DICOM and non-DICOM images, structured and unstructured diagnostic imaging, ECGs, waveforms, patient monitoring data, genomics, pathology slides – the list goes on.
The reality? Clinicians find themselves at the center of this complexity, tasked with piecing together critical patient information across disparate platforms to make life-saving decisions. But they are simply spending too much time hunting for the data they need instead of focusing on the patient.
The impact of disconnected data
Without a centralized clinical data strategy, healthcare professionals face major challenges:
- Delayed diagnoses & treatment – critical imaging or lab results may be buried in inaccessible systems, delaying patient care
- Frustration & burnout – clinicians shouldn’t be data hunters; they should be caregivers. Every extra login, search, or missing file adds unnecessary stress
- Compliance & security risks – disconnected data systems can lead to inconsistent access controls, increasing the risk of breaches and non-compliance with healthcare regulations
- Increased IT complexity & costs – managing multiple disconnected platforms is not just inefficient – it’s expensive. Legacy systems require ongoing maintenance, diverting IT resources away from innovation.
Unifying clinical data for seamless access with BridgeHead’s HealthStore®
BridgeHead’s HealthStore® eliminates data fragmentation by consolidating medical imaging and clinical information across all service lines into a single, unified repository. Instead of navigating disconnected systems, clinicians can rely on one trusted source for a complete patient picture.
Key Benefits:
- Enhanced physician productivity
With instant access to patient data, via the EMR and in ‘patient context’, clinicians can spend less time searching for data and more time making informed, timely care decisions - Enterprise-wide imaging & data access
Unlike PACS, which is typically limited to radiology and cardiology, HealthStore integrates imaging from all service lines, including pathology, dermatology, wound care, endoscopy, and point-of-care imaging – ensuring a holistic view of the patient’s medical history - Seamless EHR & PACS integration
HealthStore is not an EHR or PACS. Instead, HealthStore enhances them. It enables image access directly within the EHR, making patient data instantly available while ensuring PACS limitations don’t hinder enterprise-wide imaging strategies - A future-proof data strategy
By consolidating imaging and clinical data into a Clinical Data Repository (which encapsulates a vendor-neutral archive (VNA)), healthcare organizations reduce IT complexity, improve interoperability, and ensure long-term data accessibility – ready for AI, analytics, and predictive medicine - Supports AI & analytics for population health
With structured data, HealthStore helps organizations power AI, machine learning and advanced analytics, paving the way for predictive care, personalized medicine, and population health initiatives.
The bottom line
Clinicians shouldn’t have to traverse the chaos of disconnected clinical data and systems just to get a complete patient picture. BridgeHead HealthStore® empowers healthcare organizations to:
- Break down data silos across all service lines
- Improve clinical workflows by integrating with existing EHRs, PACS and more
- Ensure data security & compliance while reducing IT complexity
- Support AI-driven insights to enhance patient outcomes.
Are you ready to overcome the chaos and bring order to your clinical data?
Ken Burton has over 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry. Over the past 17 years, he has held a number of roles in services, sales and business development at top health tech companies, including GE, Fuji, and Aidoc. In addition, Ken has held leadership positions at prominent healthcare providers in the Pacific Northwest, such as UW Medicine, Providence, and Virginia Mason.
At BridgeHead, Ken is helping healthcare organizations across the U.S. and Canada to develop strategies to navigate the challenges of managing and leveraging their clinical data.
Ken lives in the Seattle area with his wife. He is the proud father of four adult children and now two granddaughters. Outside of work, Ken is an avid boater, skier and golfer.
Are you ready to transform the way you manage and leverage your clinical data?
