The following is a guest article by Anuj Kumar, SVP & Industry Sector Head (Health) at Wipro Ltd.

Healthcare has come a long way in digitizing its operations. Electronic health records (EHRs) are now standard practice. Patient portals, mobile apps, and connected devices generate more data than ever. But for all this progress, one issue continues to hold the industry back: fragmented data.

The good news is that with the advances in AI, organizations now have a much easier path to addressing this problem, as AI algorithms allow for the standardization of the data, help organize and structure it, and create new opportunities through ongoing learning and analysis. While many leading healthcare providers are already leveraging AI to enable seamless connectivity across systems, enhance patient experience, and drive new efficiencies, there’s still a lot of work to do in the industry.

Despite the significant advances in technology, most healthcare organizations still operate in silos. Clinical data lives in EHRs, often further fragmented in specialty-specific modules. Financial data like billing and claims in financial systems. At the same time, Operations data like scheduling, HR, and supply chain are in yet another. Add patient-generated data from wearables and apps, and you’ve got a digital ecosystem that’s anything but connected.

This isn’t just a technical problem—it’s a strategic one. Disconnected data slows care, drives up costs, and makes it harder to deliver the kind of personalized, proactive healthcare that patients expect.

AI: The Smart Way to Connect the Dots

When systems don’t talk to each other, the consequences ripple across the organization. Clinicians lack a full view of the patient. Administrators spend hours reconciling reports. Patients face delays, duplicate tests, and frustrating handoffs between providers.

Historically, the fix has been to consolidate systems—rip out the old and bring in the new. But for most organizations, that’s a nonstarter. Large-scale IT overhauls cost, complexity, and disruption, making them impractical.

Artificial Intelligence is now changing the game. It’s no longer just a buzzword—it’s a practical tool for solving one of healthcare’s most persistent challenges: unifying data without replacing everything.

Here’s what makes AI different:

• It Works With What You Already Have: AI can connect disparate systems—EHRs, billing, claims, and patient engagement tools—without needing them to be rebuilt or replaced; it enables the integration of legacy systems into modern platforms and standardizes the relationship between unstructured data 
• It Makes Sense of Messy Data: Natural Language Processing (NLP) can extract insights from unstructured sources like clinical notes, lab reports, and patient feedback; clean, consistent data supports faster, more confident decision-making
• It Adapts in Real Time: AI models can adjust to changes in source systems—like new data fields or updated formats—without manual reconfiguration; unified data helps leaders forecast needs, optimize staffing, and improve throughput
• It Delivers Insights When They Matter: AI can identify patterns, detect anomalies, and produce actionable insights promptly; real-time analytics can flag issues, surface trends, and support decisions at the point of care or in the back office—automating data mapping and validation frees staff to focus on higher-value tasks

In short, AI doesn’t just move data—it makes it meaningful. Every insight counts in a world where margins are tight and expectations are high.

Across the industry, leading organizations are already putting these ideas into action. They are implementing practical, scalable solutions across the care continuum that deliver real value, without requiring a full-scale system overhaul. Organizations are investing in AI to:

• Streamline prior authorizations by summarizing clinical records for faster decisions
• Improve claims accuracy with real-time validation and denial prediction
• Enhance member servicing with AI-powered insights and automation

What Healthcare Leaders Should Do Next

For healthcare IT and executive leaders considering AI-powered approaches to data integration, a strategic playbook can be defined as below:  

• Start with High-Impact Areas: Focus on integrating clinical and revenue cycle data first—this is where fragmentation hurts the most
• Think Beyond the EHR: True transformation comes from connecting the entire ecosystem, not just digitizing clinical records
• Build Governance From the Start: Ensure AI solutions are compliant, transparent, and aligned with regulations like HIPAA and GDPR
• Prioritize Cybersecurity: As systems become more connected, protecting patient data becomes even more critical

The Future Is Connected

Healthcare’s next chapter isn’t about collecting more data—it’s about connecting it. AI is the bridge that makes this possible, not by replacing what’s already in place but by making it work together in smarter, more meaningful ways.

The organizations that embrace this shift won’t just be more efficient. They’ll be more agile, patient-centered, and better prepared for whatever comes next.

About Anuj Kumar

Anuj Kumar is Senior Vice President and Business Head for Wipro’s Healthcare segment, a $1 billion business unit providing information technology, consulting, and business process services to Healthcare payers and providers, with over 15,000 global team members.

With a career spanning over two decades and a deep and broad background across Wipro’s various geographies, functions, service lines, and business units, Anuj brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to his role. His unwavering commitment to client satisfaction, his relentless focus on delivering results, and his extensive first-hand experience of significant technological changes and US healthcare industry transformations further enhance Wipro’s position.

Having joined Wipro in 2013, Anuj has held numerous leadership roles, including Business Head of Wipro’s Government Healthcare platforms. Most recently, he served as the CEO for Health Plan Services, a subsidiary of Wipro, providing Business Platforms for payers under the Affordable Care Act. In this role, Anuj led a wide range of industry solutions and was responsible for establishing their vision, as well as shaping and implementing growth strategies.

Srini holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering. An avid biker, Anuj lives in Pittsburgh with his family.