As digital transformation extends across various industries, healthcare embraces advanced techs, including data fabric. The global data fabric market, valued at $2.1 billion in 2022, is anticipated to reach around $8.9 billion by 2032, growing at a robust CAGR of 15.54% from 2023 to 2032. This growth is driven by the increasing volume and variety of corporate data, underpinned by heightened internet usage and the proliferation of connected devices.
In this blog post inspired by Smile Digital Health, one of the best examples of data fabric in healthcare, we explore how this tech is becoming integral in the medical sector, enhancing health data management and improving patient outcomes.
Table of Contents
What Is a Data Fabric?
Chances are you have come across the concept of “data fabric” at some point. But what does it mean? Imagine it as a digital framework emerging because of intertwined networks, facilitating the exchange of information. This “fabric” essentially acts as a conduit through which data and services connect, enhancing the availability and flow of these resources. Such a system could revolutionize healthcare technology by enabling significant transformations.

Thus, data fabric represents a cutting-edge technological framework to achieve adaptable, recyclable, and enhanced data management. It leverages the advantages of direct human engagement and systems that can seamlessly interact. That enables data integration into existing and future metadata resources that can be disseminated across different platforms.
Let’s check the definition offered by Gartner:
“A data fabric is an emerging data management design for attaining flexible, reusable and augmented data integration pipelines, services and semantics. A data fabric supports both operational and analytics use cases delivered across multiple deployment and orchestration platforms and processes. Data fabrics support a combination of different data integration styles and leverage active metadata, knowledge graphs, semantics and ML to augment data integration design and delivery.”
In essence, data fabric creates multiple layers of information and tools on top of an existing infrastructure. There, each layer complements the others. This integrated approach simplifies the process of consuming and understanding data. That makes it a breeze for medical professionals to access and interpret complex healthcare information. In turn, that facilitates swift data movement between resources and empowers users to make informed decisions with ease.
The primary objective of data fabric is to furnish a framework that allows disparate techs to work together with a unified data source. In the healthcare sector, it means that apps can interact with established data structures, Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), terminology, etc. Such use of standardized tools for seamless integration and operation simplifies the tech landscape. Also, it enhances the interoperability of healthcare systems. Ultimately, that leads to a great boost in patient care and operational efficiency, instilling confidence in the effectiveness of data fabric.
Discover the benefits of adopting data fabric in your healthcare infrastructure. Contact our specialists to discuss how we can help you improve data integration!
Strand by Strand: Exploring the World of Data Fabrics
Modern companies must organize and continuously update the information, mainly in healthcare. Data fabrics offer a solution by acting as systems that acquire, store, arrange, and refresh health data through various services and features. This process is akin to weaving a tapestry, where strands of data are aligned and intertwined. That ensures its interpretation and usage remain consistent at various endpoints. Such a method combines health records, creating a complex data web.
The medical industry utilizes myriad apps with unique data sources and formats. These apps connect with other systems through specialized APIs to optimize data use. At the same time, the sector typically operates with numerous distinct data source models. Each system has a user interface, workflow, and specific content for experts to perform their duties.
However, what needs to be improved is a uniform and established method for the efficient, precise, and secure exchange of information. Moreover, the introduction of new applications, such as health data stored on a patient’s smartphone, usually lacks integration or coherence with the current systems and information silos.

A health data fabric addresses these shortcomings by integrating with and augmenting existing Electronic Health Records (EHRs). They contain vast amounts of underutilized information. That harnesses the capabilities of HL7 and FHIR standards for the electronic exchange of healthcare information to assimilate and refine the extensive data available. Using open standards makes data fabrics viable, allowing apps built on open-source data to benefit mutually. Data fabrics link existing data, utilizing open standards to assimilate and organize large data volumes.
Much like weaving a visible pattern into the fabric, the structure of a data fabric ensures data is easily identifiable and understandable from afar. This clarity is crucial for various applications or future uses, presenting data in distinguishable pathways or patterns. So, the resulting analytical patterns are vital for enhancing care, proving the importance of organized and accessible data.
Breaking Down Healthcare Data Barriers with Data Fabrics
As healthcare entities like medical providers and insurers rely on their distinct data sources, sharing data becomes incredibly complex, cumbersome, and costly. Besides, it is hindered by proprietary data structures. This situation leads to patients receiving uneven care, as their health information is not seamlessly shared across their care network. That delays the transfer of crucial data between organizations. Fortunately, data fabrics offer a streamlined solution for data interchange between systems.
Instead of a clear strategy to unify information access, the current method involves exporting data from one system to another, creating isolated data pockets with each transfer. Each time a patient’s data needs to be accessed by a new system, a duplicate of the information is made. That further entrenches data isolation and complicates data synchronization efforts. Open standards present a more effective data-sharing and storage approach.

The need for the swift flow of pertinent information, whether for sharing clinical data across hospitals or exchanging patient details between healthcare providers and insurers, is critical. That becomes even more crucial in population health crises, where organizations must exchange large data volumes swiftly. With data fabrics, this information flow ensures that healthcare entities can rely on the efficiency and speed of data interchange.
Adopting a data fabric makes information accessible across hybrid and cloud-based platforms, seamlessly connecting data from different apps to new app suites without losing access. This process enhances information clarity and availability and enriches the data ecosystem for all applications within the fabric. So, all applications can benefit from enriched information sets that foster an optimistic outlook for the healthcare industry.
Without integrating data fabrics, the continued dominance of siloed systems is inevitable. However, this inevitability is not a cause for concern but rather a reassurance that the current medical landscape is moving towards a unified and efficient method for information exchange. This method provides a foundation for integrating new apps with existing data infrastructures. That helps instill confidence in the future of healthcare information management.
Data fabrics utilize open standards to foster meaningful outcomes, facilitating the shared use and discovery of information throughout numerous systems. This collaborative approach enables applications to seamlessly integrate and interact within a unified information framework of other platforms. It offers advantages like hybrid storage solutions, active intent, standardized schemas and coding, achieved semantic interoperability, native knowledge graphs, and more. By creating a larger community with data fabrics, we are all part of a collective effort, providing better patient outcomes.
The Role of Data Fabric Integration in Healthcare
Within the realm of data fabric, any segment can seamlessly integrate with another, expanding its capabilities. Such integration is particularly robust with the adoption of standards like FHIR. For instance, thanks to FHIR, it is possible to externalize all gathered medical information and services for use by others who adhere to it.

One of the most significant advantages of data fabric integration in healthcare is the ease with which companies can share patient information with other healthcare providers. This includes a wide range of data types, from statistical and research data to average genomic profiles. The potential for collaboration is only limited by the willingness and needs of those involved to break free from the constraints of traditional proprietary data services.
Modern solutions transcend the basic infrastructure and tech understanding previously required. Thus, top-notch health data platforms help store and enhance data utility. Besides, they support medical companies’ research initiatives and expanding capabilities.
Integrating apps that can read and interact with FHIR is a transformative step. It enables complex analysis, trend spotting, and innovative solutions to the most pressing issues in the medical sector. This paves the way for a revolution in care delivery, significantly improving healthcare for all.
Final Thoughts
To sum up, data fabrics represent a pivotal advancement in technology integration within the healthcare sector. They enable more efficient and precise care delivery by streamlining data management and enhancing interoperability. After all, as the relevant market grows, embracing these techs will be crucial for healthcare providers to improve patient care and operational performance.
Revolutionize your healthcare information systems with data fabric tech. Contact us to learn about how to achieve seamless data management!