Mental healthcare
Integrated care & interoperability
One digital care pathway: from 25 systems to a single orchestration layer
How a regional care network comprising a hospital and 8 care partners connected all systems through a single digital orchestration layer — for better data flows and fewer handoff errors.
Case study
5 min read
Situation
The challenge
A regional care network — consisting of a hospital and 8 care partners — operated with more than 25 different systems. Patient handoffs were error-prone, data was locked in silos, and duplicate registrations consumed valuable time.
- 25+ different systems — EHRs, scheduling tools, and billing systems with no interconnection
- Error-prone handoffs — patient information was lost or incorrectly transferred during handoffs between organizations
- Data silos — no shared client overview, leaving healthcare professionals working blind
- Duplicate registrations — the same data was entered multiple times across different systems
Approach
The solution
The CareHub orchestration layer connects all systems via open standards (FHIR/HL7), creating an integrated patient overview and automated data exchange — without replacing existing systems.
FHIR/HL7 integration
All 25+ systems connected via open standards. No custom integrations, but a scalable integration layer that is future-proof.
Unified patient overview
One complete, real-time overview of the client for all involved healthcare professionals — regardless of which source system provides the data.
Automated data exchange
Shared care plans are automatically synchronized between all partners. No more manual handoffs.
Impact
The results
The orchestration layer delivered immediate, measurable improvements: fewer errors, greater insight, and significant time savings for all healthcare professionals in the network.
25
Systems connected via a single orchestration layer
70%
Fewer handoff errors
Real-time client overview for all partners
2h
Saved per day per healthcare professional
Implementation
From fragmentation to one orchestration layer
The transition from 25 separate systems to one integrated orchestration layer was carried out step by step, with minimal disruption to daily care.
1
Month 1-2: System audit & architecture
All 25 systems inventoried for data format, API capabilities, and data flows. FHIR compatibility assessed per system. Integration plan drawn up with the hospital and all 8 care partners.
2
Month 3-5: FHIR integrations & orchestration layer
CareHub orchestration layer set up as middleware. First integrations with the hospital EHR and three home care organizations via FHIR/HL7 standards.
3
Month 6-8: Pilot & validation
Pilot with 200 patient records. Data exchange tested between hospital, rehabilitation center, and two home care partners. NEN 7510 compliance check completed.
4
Month 9-12: Full rollout
All 9 organizations and 25 systems connected to the orchestration layer. Training for 120+ healthcare professionals. Unified patient overview live for the entire network.
“The beauty of the orchestration layer is that we didn’t have to replace a single system. Everyone works in their familiar environment, but data now flows seamlessly between all partners.”
CMIO — Regional Hospital
Three lessons for practice
Start with the pain points
The first integration solved the biggest bottleneck: duplicate medication registration. This immediately created buy-in from all partners for the next steps.
Open standards as foundation
By choosing FHIR/HL7 as the integration standard, vendors did not need to build custom solutions. New partners can now connect in weeks instead of months.
Governance from the start
A joint data governance committee with representatives from all 9 organizations ensured trust and fast decision-making on data sharing.
Explore our other cases
Discover more examples of digital care transformation with the CareHub ecosystem.
Would you like to achieve similar results?
Discover how the CareHub orchestration layer can connect your care network. Contact us for a no-obligation conversation about interoperability and data-driven care.
Get in touch