Too Many Tools, Not Enough Vision: Taking Back Control of Hospital Digitalization

This is the real challenge of hospital digital transformation.

Across Belgium, hospitals are accelerating their digital transformation.
From teleconsultation platforms to care management tools, HR software, and connected imaging solutions, digital technology is now an essential part of everyday hospital life — and that’s a good thing.

But behind this technological effervescence lies a recurring issue: digitalization is advancing without a unified vision.
Each department has made its own choices — often in a hurry, sometimes out of necessity — creating a fragmented information system where applications multiply without always communicating, and data struggles to flow.

The paradox is that by trying to digitalize everywhere and fast, we end up losing what digital technology was supposed to bring in the first place: time, consistency, and visibility.

A reality well known on the ground

In many hospitals we support, the situation is the same:

• Software decisions have been made department by department, without overall governance.
• Tools coexist without any real information system (IS) architecture or urbanization.
• Budget constraints push teams to “make do with what they have,” even if it makes the ecosystem more complex.
• And teams, rarely trained or consulted, end up enduring digital tools rather than adopting them.

The consequences are very tangible: duplicate data entries, transmission errors, hours lost each week searching for the right information, and caregivers who feel slowed down by tools meant to make their work easier.
Even hospital management teams sometimes struggle to rely on consolidated data to steer operations.

Digital fatigue has become a silent reality within the healthcare sector.

A nationwide challenge

This local observation echoes a national issue.
In Belgium, the federal government has made digital health a cornerstone of public service modernization through the Interfederal eHealth Plan 2025–2027.
Its goal: to build a common architecture and strengthen interoperability between hundreds of existing systems (hospitals, mutual insurance funds, medical centers, regional authorities).

The flagship project of this ambition is the Belgian Integrated Health Record (BIHR) — an integrated health record designed to allow every authorized healthcare professional to securely access all relevant patient data.
Its gradual rollout, supported by the eHealth network and regional platforms such as the Brussels Health Network and the Réseau Santé Wallon, aims to achieve nationwide interoperability by 2027.

But the road ahead remains long.
Hospitals must navigate a complex ecosystem — between European regulations (EHDS, AI Act, GDPR, MDR…), local requirements, and a multiplicity of stakeholders.

In this context, taking back control of one’s own digital landscape has become a strategic act.
And at Sapristic, that’s exactly what we like to do!

A digital hospital is not built software by software

Digitalization is not about stacking tools.
It’s about defining a clear vision aligned with the hospital’s mission: to heal better, coordinate better, and make better decisions.

The first step is the diagnostic — knowing what exists, what works, and where overlaps occur.
At Sapristic, we always start there: by creating a full mapping of the information system, shared with on-the-ground teams.
Often, it’s the first time everyone can visualize the whole picture — and that already changes the conversation.

Next comes the digital roadmap: a clear, prioritized, and realistic trajectory.
It defines the structural choices (which tools to keep, connect, or replace) and establishes governance — who decides what, and based on which criteria.

Here, the challenge is not technical but organizational.
It’s a matter of governance, trust, and clarity.

Interoperability — lever or illusion?

One of the most cited words in hospital digital transformation remains interoperability.
But behind the term lies a multitude of realities.

Some hospitals have invested heavily in connectors or integration layers. Others are betting on cloud-based or modular systems.
Yet as long as data is not structured, standardized, and shared using the right frameworks (such as SNOMED CT), interoperability remains a theoretical promise.

Once again, the challenge is not only technical — it’s about data governance, prioritization, and culture.
It’s about shifting from a tools logic to a value flow logic: what information needs to circulate, for whom, for what purpose, and with what level of quality?

Bringing back meaning (and breathing room) for teams

Another too-often neglected pillar is the human factor.
We talk a lot about software, but not enough about usage.

When caregivers or managers are involved too late — or when a digital project is reduced to a technical go-live — distrust quickly builds.
The key lies in change management: making users active contributors to the project, valuing their feedback, and targeting concrete short-term results.

A well-executed quick win — for instance, eliminating duplicate data entry, automating an invoicing process, or simplifying a dashboard — can completely shift perceptions of an entire digitalization program.

Toward transformation that lasts

Hospitals that have successfully made their digital shift share a common trait:
they took the time to structure before automating.
Their information system is no longer a patchwork but a managed ecosystem.
IT decisions are made based on facts, operational teams are involved, and leadership benefits from a global, reliable, and actionable vision.

This digital maturity cannot be decreed — it must be built, step by step, through clear governance, solid architecture, and a shared culture.

In short:

The problem: a layered “millefeuille” of applications with no shared vision. (A pity — because we do love cake!)
The risk: losing time, meaning, and efficiency. (And time, as they say, is money!)
The key: shared diagnostics, realistic roadmap, strong governance, and human-focused change management. (At Sapristic, we’ve got the key.)
The outcome: a coherent, interoperable, and well-governed digital hospital — serving both care and caregivers.

What’s next?

Hospital digitalization doesn’t need more tools.
It needs more vision, consistency, and connection among stakeholders.

At Sapristic, we help healthcare institutions regain control of their information systems: application mapping, IS governance, change management, and interoperability strategy.

Want to see things clearly?
Start with a diagnostic and discover what your information system really says about your organization.
Contact us.