The urgent need for interoperability

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated healthcare digitisation, and with frameworks like FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) gaining traction, seamless data exchange is finally becoming achievable. Healthcare organisations are now required to adopt FHIR-compliant formats, ensuring consistent, shareable data for better care delivery. Initiatives like Google Cloud’s pre-configured data pipelines further simplify this process by standardising disparate data into usable formats.

For B2B healthcare commerce, this progress is equally transformative. Reliable data exchange enables real-time inventory management, predictive maintenance for IoT-enabled medical devices, and faster procurement processes—critical factors for maintaining supply chain efficiency and, ultimately, patient care.

Key areas of impact

• Supply Chain Management: Real-time inventory visibility helps prevent stockouts and overstocking, ensuring essential items such as pharmaceuticals, PPE, and lab equipment are readily available. Automation in procurement processes also enables faster, more efficient reordering, maintaining optimal stock levels and supporting uninterrupted patient care.

One European public health system is currently optimising its supplier portal to create an interoperable digital commerce platform. This initiative promises to enhance procurement efficiency, reduce costs, and secure timely delivery of supplies to hospitals.

• Predictive Maintenance: IoT-enabled medical devices can send real-time alerts for maintenance needs, minimising downtime and avoiding service disruptions. This proactive approach ensures hospitals maintain operating capacity and deliver continuous patient care.

Bridging the gaps with APIs and composable solutions

Despite progress, many healthcare organisations still face challenges in achieving full data interoperability. The solution lies in connecting disparate systems through APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), which act as bridges facilitating seamless communication between platforms.

APIs allow businesses to build an interconnected ecosystem where data flows smoothly and supports swift decision-making, automation, and personalised services. This connectivity means new systems and IoT devices can integrate effortlessly into existing workflows, enhancing supply chain operations and service delivery.

Composable commerce’s modular structure, underpinned by APIs, offers further advantages. Organisations can ‘plug and play’ different services, integrating new technologies like AI to elevate data accuracy and accessibility. This adaptability helps predict trends, optimise processes, and create sophisticated, efficient B2B commerce journeys.

There’s also a direct benefit for suppliers that adopt composable solutions — in commercetools’ State of eCommerce Report, 90% of recent migrators experienced sales and revenue improvements, with 30% of respondents reporting that their sales increased by 30% or more.

The path forward

In today’s evolving healthcare landscape, data interoperability is a foundational element for both better patient care and optimised B2B operations. By leveraging APIs and composable solutions, healthcare organisations are not only breaking down data silos but also paving the way for more efficient, cost-effective systems that contribute to enhanced patient outcomes and seamless healthcare delivery.

With the right digital tools, healthcare providers and their B2B partners can overcome today’s challenges and build a future defined by integration, efficiency, and exceptional care.

Nina Jonker-Völker, VP of APAC at commercetools