Microsoft Unveils Fabric Platform to Streamline Healthcare Data Management

This platform focuses on integrating disparate health data sources and transforming them into actionable insights, aligning with the swift technological advancements within the healthcare domain.

Microsoft, an American multinational technology corporation, has unveiled healthcare-focussed functionalities for its Fabric data and analytics platform during the recent HLTH conference held in Las Vegas. 

Initially announced in May, this platform acts as a central hub for integrating data from various sources such as electronic health records, medical images, lab systems, medical devices, and claims systems. 

The tech giant recently revealed specialised healthcare solutions within Fabric, intended to amalgamate data from previously isolated sources including electronic health records (EHRs), picture archiving and communications systems (PACS), labs, claims systems, and medical devices. 

In light of this development, Alysa Taylor, corporate VP, Azure and Industry at Microsoft, said, "Hospitals produce 50 petabytes of data per year, the majority of which remains untapped, revealing the pressing need for effective data strategies and technological solutions in the healthcare sector."

The solutions offered under Fabric present an opportunity to efficiently structure and integrate structured and unstructured data, along with imaging and medical device data, through the Fabric data lake, employing open data standards such as FHIR, DICOM, and medtech services. 

This integration aims to establish a unified architecture, paving the way for standardised and scalable solutions for clinical and operational insights, thereby facilitating the creation and application of AI models.

Commenting on the significance of unified health data, Umesh Rustogi, general manager at Microsoft Healthcare Industry Cloud, said, "One of the biggest problems we have in healthcare is that data is everywhere, making it challenging to derive real-time data insights crucial for patient care and hospital operations." .

He emphasised the necessity of a consolidated and curated data approach to facilitate AI advancements and enhance patient care.

Microsoft Fabric's emphasis on real-time FHIR data and a secure environment was viewed as a potential game-changer in the healthcare industry, with healthcare systems anticipating its positive impact on patient care and overall healthcare operations.