As spring gives way to summer, many health technology leaders are entering the second half of 2026 with an insight that will help them pull ahead: data strategy is now business strategy.
Interoperability, AI-ready data platforms, and real-world evidence are no longer tangential capabilities. They are becoming core to how medical device, biopharma, diagnostics, and digital health companies prove value, support adoption, and navigate a more outcomes-driven market.1,2,3
This is exactly why this topic deserves a place on every executive agenda in 2026. Across the market, regulators, payers, providers, and investors are asking tougher questions about how health technology companies connect data, generate evidence, and translate both into measurable results. The organizations best positioned for the future will be the ones that build not only the right products, but the right infrastructure and teams behind them.1,2,3
Why this matters now
The urgency is being driven by a convergence of policy, reimbursement, and technology shifts. The Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement™ (TEFCA) continues to expand as a national framework for health information exchange, and federal officials reported in February that nearly 500 million health records had already been exchanged through the network. That kind of scale matters. It signals that interoperability is moving from aspiration to operating reality, raising expectations for vendors that want to work effectively across the healthcare ecosystem.4,5
At the same time, real-world evidences are mounting. Recent analysis of FDA actions between late 2025 and early 2026 points to a more defined regulatory path for using real-world data in both device and drug contexts, while also increasing expectations around structure, provenance, and methodological rigor. In other words, it is becoming easier to see where RWE can create value, but harder to get there with fragmented, poorly documented, or non-standardized data.2,6
This is also the year many executives are learning that AI ambition without data readiness creates more noise than advantage. Industry trend reporting continues to emphasize that longitudinal, linked, and verifiable data—not data volume alone—will determine which organizations can generate decision-grade evidence and trustworthy analytics at scale. That has made modern data platforms foundational, not optional.1,3
The trends shaping 2026
- The shift from interoperability as an IT concern to interoperability as a strategic growth lever. Companies that can move data more effectively across provider, payer, research, and public health environments are better positioned to accelerate implementation, improve user experience, and support downstream evidence generation. For many health technology companies, interoperability is now directly tied to adoption and commercial credibility, not just technical performance. 4,5
- The rise of multi-modal data platforms built for evidence, not just storage. Organizations are investing in environments that can unify EHR, claims, lab, mortality, registry, and other real-world data sources into longitudinal views that support clinical and business priorities. The value of these platforms is not simply aggregation. It’s the ability to create auditable, reusable pipelines that connect raw data to outcomes, regulatory submissions, market access discussions, and AI use cases. 1,3
- The maturation of real-world evidence into a cross-functional capability. RWE is no longer confined to a narrow research function or a post-market exercise. It is increasingly relevant across product strategies, regulatory planning, safety monitoring, reimbursement, and value-based contracting. For executives, that means evidence planning needs to begin earlier, involve more teams, and align more directly with business milestones. 3,6,7
A practical example: Consider a medical device or digital health company selling into health systems. If each new customer requires extensive custom integration work, long onboarding cycles, and manual data mapping, the organization starts every client relationship with friction. Even if the product itself is strong, slow implementation can undermine confidence in scalability and delay the ability to show outcomes.
Now compare that with a company that has invested in standards-based interoperability and a stronger underlying data platform. That organization is more likely to connect faster, pull cleaner data, and generate evidence that can support provider adoption, payer conversations, and product improvement. In a market that increasingly rewards proof, that difference becomes strategic.
A similar dynamic is playing out in biopharma and diagnostics. Strong trial data still matters, but it is often not enough on its own. As market access stakeholders place greater emphasis on performance in real care settings, companies that can generate credible, well-governed real-world evidence are in a stronger position to support coverage, differentiate value, and extend the commercial life of their innovations.3,6,7
The challenges leaders cannot ignore
The opportunity is real, but so are the barriers. One of the biggest is organizational fragmentation. In many companies, interoperability sits with one team, the data platform with another, and RWE with yet another function. That structure can slow decisions, blur accountability, and make it harder to invest in the capabilities that matter most. 3
Data quality is another challenge that remains front and center. Industry sources continue to stress that the ability to confirm relevance, completeness, linkage readiness, and provenance are essential if data is going to hold up in regulatory or market access settings. An organization may have access to large amounts of data, but if that data cannot be traced, harmonized, and defended, it will not deliver the level of confidence that executives need. 1,3,6
Then there is talent. Companies increasingly need leaders who can connect technical architecture, evidence strategy, regulatory expectations, and commercial objectives. The winning teams will include people who can bridge functions, not just optimize within them. That includes leaders across data engineering, HEOR, product, market access, analytics, and clinical strategy who understand how to build systems that support evidence, not just operations. 3,6,7
What executives should do next
- Elevate interoperability, data platforms, and real-world evidence to the enterprise level. These are not side initiatives for IT or analytics teams alone. They should be tied directly to growth, reimbursement, product adoption, and long-term positioning. Build data evaluation into the regular cadence of management. 1,3
- Align investments to the business questions that matter most. For some companies, that may mean generating stronger post-market evidence. For others, it may mean shortening implementation cycles, supporting value-based contracts, or improving readiness for regulatory submissions. The key is to work backward from the outcomes the business needs, rather than forward from the technology it happens to have. 3,6,7
- Focus on team design as much as platform design. The companies that will lead in this space are the ones that combine technical depth with regulatory fluency, commercial awareness, and the ability to execute across silos. In our experience, that is often the difference between a promising strategy and one that actually moves the market. 3,6
For health technology executives, the message is clear: in 2026, interoperability and real-world evidence are not just fringe topics. They are leadership topics. The organizations that act accordingly will be better prepared to prove value, earn trust, and compete in the next phase of health technology growth.3
Sources
- Merative, Real-world data trends 2026: The shift to quality and AI precision (Jan 21, 2026)
- Premier Inc., What will make real-world evidence regulatory grade in 2026 and beyond (Mar 11, 2026)
- Datavant, 3 Data Trends Shaping Clinical Research and RWE in 2026 and Beyond (Mar 18, 2026)
- ONC, TEFCA, America’s National Interoperability Network
- Healthcare Dive, TEFCA, Health Tech Ecosystem are complementary data exchange efforts (Feb 13, 2026)
- Castor, FDA Real-World Evidence Requirements 2025–2026 (Apr 26, 2026)
- Fortune Business Insights, Real World Evidence Solutions Market: Global Report 2034 (May 11, 2026)
About the Author
Paula Norbom is the Founder and CEO of Talencio, an executive search and staffing firm serving health technology companies. She has worked in the health technology industry for over 30 years.