Healthcare executives, clinicians, and digital health leaders gathered at InterSystems Asia READY 2026 in Bangkok on September 1 to examine how trusted data and interoperability can turn AI from a theoretical promise into practical tools for hospitals and care delivery. The summit, held at The Ritz-Carlton, spotlighted real-world applications that address clinical workflows and operational efficiency rather than distant future scenarios.
InterSystems, which manages over one billion healthcare records globally, framed the discussion around three priorities: establishing trusted data foundations, connecting systems through interoperability, and applying AI to genuine healthcare challenges. Luciano Brustia, Regional Managing Director for Asia Pacific, and Don Woodlock, President of InterSystems, led the event's core sessions.
The data problem hospitals need to solve first
Hospitals generate enormous volumes of information across electronic health records, laboratory systems, imaging platforms, and administrative tools. When that data stays fragmented, clinicians lack a complete view of patients, and care coordination suffers. Interoperability addresses this by securely connecting environments so information becomes accessible and usable for analytics and AI-driven decision-making.
"With interoperability, healthcare organizations across Asia Pacific are moving beyond digitization toward connected and intelligent models of care," Brustia said. He pointed to Thailand's strong healthcare ecosystem and growing focus on digital health as an opportunity to connect information more effectively and create foundations that let organizations scale AI.
Moving AI from ambition to clinical value
InterSystems stressed that healthcare AI should target specific needs: helping clinicians find relevant information faster, reducing administrative burden, and improving day-to-day workflows. The message was direct - the industry conversation needs to shift away from what AI could theoretically do and toward where it delivers measurable results.
"For AI to be useful in healthcare, it needs accurate, trusted, and contextualized information," Brustia said. "Our focus is on practical AI that supports healthcare professionals, improves workflows, and helps organizations make better use of their data." This approach matters because even sophisticated models produce unreliable outputs when fed incomplete or inconsistent data. For professionals working with AI for Healthcare Courses, the emphasis on data quality as a prerequisite for effective AI is a recurring theme.
What makes a smart hospital actually smart
Smart hospitals depend on multiple clinical and operational systems working together. Interoperability allows information to flow between these environments while protecting existing technology investments. Brustia put it plainly: "A smart hospital cannot operate effectively when critical information remains trapped in separate systems."
The summit showcased applications spanning AI-enabled workflows, next-generation EHRs, connected healthcare ecosystems, and modern data architectures. One concrete example came from Thailand, where InterSystems and DataOne announced an initiative in February 2026 to build an AI-ready data bridge between hospitals and insurers. The project supports healthcare data interoperability and automated electronic claims processing. For billing and administrative professionals, this kind of automation directly intersects with skills covered in AI for Medical Billers training pathways.
Why this matters for healthcare professionals
The shift InterSystems described is not about replacing clinical judgment with algorithms. It is about ensuring that when a clinician, administrator, or billing specialist needs information, the systems around them surface it accurately and without friction. For healthcare professionals, the practical takeaway is that AI initiatives grounded in interoperable, trusted data are the ones most likely to reduce daily frustration - fewer systems that do not talk to each other, less time chasing missing information, and more time focused on patient care and operational decisions that actually move the needle.
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