How connected medical devices can drive operational efficiency—and why digital trust is essential

• Connected medical devices can improve operational efficiency by streamlining hospital workflows, improving access to information, and supporting faster, more coordinated care

• As medical devices become more interconnected, cybersecurity, data privacy, and governance become essential to maintaining trust

• Healthcare leaders should assess potential technology partners not only on what connected solutions can do, but on security and reliability over the device’s entire lifecycle

Modern hospitals depend on countless medical devices every day, from vital monitoring systems and laboratory analyzers to imaging equipment, Point of Care (POC) diagnostic devices, and critical care systems. Increasingly, these devices are connected through the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), creating new opportunities for healthcare organizations.^1,2

Connected medical devices can generate and share information across systems and workflows, helping reduce manual processes, improve data visibility, support decision-making, and enable more connected ways of working.^1,3-5 For hospitals and clinicians under increasing operational pressure, these capabilities can create meaningful efficiencies and help organizations make better use of their people, technology, and data.

But simply connecting medical devices isn’t enough to make their data useful. Interoperability is key to safely and effectively connecting hospital infrastructure and integrated medical devices to unlock real value.⁵ As healthcare becomes more interconnected, organizations also need confidence that the data, technology, and systems underpinning these connections are secure, reliable, and fit for purpose. That is why digital trust is the foundation for turning connected medical devices into sustainable operational value.

Medical devices are increasingly moving from standalone tools to interconnected components of a broader healthcare environment, generating and sharing data with other devices, systems, and hospital infrastructure.^2,3 By enabling devices to become part of a more connected healthcare ecosystem, this shift creates new opportunities to improve information flow across hospitals and support better care.^2-4 The growing investment in connected healthcare technologies reflects the scale of this transformation, with the connected medical device market projected to reach USD 265.2 billion by 2034.⁶

Examples include POC testing devices that transmit results to a patient’s electronic medical record (EMR) rather than leaving information isolated on the device, and central laboratory analyzers that exchange test orders and results with the laboratory information system (LIS) or laboratory middleware through standardized interfaces.^7,8 Hospitals can also use connected technologies such as radio-frequency identification (RFID) to track the location of hospital beds or assets in real time, helping teams improve visibility and manage resources more efficiently.³

As medical devices become more connected to each other and to wider hospital systems, their ability to exchange and use data safely, securely, and effectively becomes increasingly important. Interoperability provides the foundation for this exchange across different devices, technologies, and systems.^5,7

The more effectively devices and systems can exchange and use information, the greater the potential to connect previously distributed data and make it available within existing clinical and operational workflows.⁵

Connected medical devices can offer tangible value to healthcare teams by reducing friction across everyday workflows. When data moves automatically between devices and clinical systems, connectivity can reduce manual processes, improve information accuracy, support more timely clinical decisions, and enable better collaboration across teams.^3,5,9

A 2026 systematic review of seven US hospital studies suggests how integrated medical devices can improve workflow efficiency: Bidirectional interoperability between smart infusion pumps and electronic health records (EHRs) was associated with fewer programming steps, reduced nursing time spent on programming, and improved documentation accuracy.⁹ Although the evidence was based on only seven studies conducted in the US, the findings suggest that this kind of device-to-EHRs integration can help minimize medical errors, improve efficiency, and reduce manual processes for clinical staff.⁹

Connected medical devices can also help deliver important alerts and information to clinicians when and where they are needed. In a smart intensive care unit (ICU) environment, for example, connected ventilators, pulse oximeters, and telemetry monitors could transmit information through a connected network and generate targeted alerts to a clinician’s smartphone in near real time. These automated alerts support more timely decision-making in the ICU by identifying rapidly deteriorating patients without requiring clinicians to monitor each device independently.¹⁰ When accurate, timely data is available at the POC, clinicians can use it to inform evidence-based decisions and support consistent, appropriate care.^3,5

Connectivity can also strengthen collaboration across clinical and operational teams. When data is exchanged and presented in a coordinated way across devices and healthcare systems, healthcare professionals can access relevant information across traditional clinical and operational boundaries.⁵ This can help break down data silos and support a more integrated approach to care and hospital operations.^1,5

In connected healthcare, digital trust means having justified confidence that devices and systems will operate reliably, preserve the availability and integrity of data, protect sensitive information, and remain governed and supported throughout their lifecycle. Asking healthcare organizations to rely on data from interconnected systems requires trust. As medical devices become more connected, hospitals need confidence in the availability, accuracy, and security of data shared across devices and healthcare systems. Without these safeguards in place, organizations may not be able to realize the tangible operational benefits that connectivity can provide.

This makes digital trust an operational requirement, not simply a technical consideration. Connected healthcare must be supported by reliable systems, accurate and responsibly handled data, and clear governance and accountability for how information is shared and used.¹¹

For healthcare leaders, this means looking beyond the potential operational benefits of connected medical devices and asking a broader question: Can we rely on this connected solution to operate reliably, protect information appropriately, and support our organization’s responsibilities to patients, clinicians, and partners?

The more healthcare operations depend on connected infrastructure, the more important these foundations become.

As medical devices become part of larger interconnected systems, cybersecurity becomes essential to maintaining dependable healthcare operations. A security issue affecting one component can create risks for other connected technologies, with potential implications for workflows, data, and care delivery.¹² This means cybersecurity is linked to patient safety and operational resilience, in addition to being a key IT priority.

Healthcare systems should address IoMT security considerations throughout the lifecycle of connected medical devices. Rather than treating security as a one-time requirement at implementation, organizations need confidence that vendors will provide ongoing support, security updates, monitoring, and risk management as technologies and threats evolve.¹² Security is also a shared responsibility. Manufacturers and healthcare organizations have complementary, sometimes overlapping responsibilities. Manufacturers are responsible for security throughout the device lifecycle, while healthcare organizations must secure and govern the networks, identities, workflows, and operating environments in which connected devices are used.¹³

The security considerations also differ from one part of the hospital to another. POC testing devices are distributed across wards, emergency departments, and outpatient clinics. They are handled by many members of clinical staff, and connect to the hospital network from many locations.^7,8 Central laboratory analyzers, by contrast, are fewer in number, process far higher test volumes, and are integrated with the LIS or laboratory middleware and, through them, with the wider hospital environment.⁸ Both operate within the same laboratory quality framework, as ISO 15189:2022 now covers POC testing alongside the central laboratory, but the questions healthcare organizations need to ask about connectivity, access, and oversight are different in each setting.^13-15 For POC testing, that means knowing who is certified to operate each device, using operator lockout, and securing a large fleet of wireless connections. For the central laboratory, it means protecting a small number of high-volume LIS and middleware interfaces and controlling any remote vendor access to them.^7,13

Data privacy in healthcare is also critical to overall trust.^1,2,11 Connected medical devices collect, exchange, and transmit sensitive patient information across multiple systems, so organizations must consider who can access the data and how it is protected.^1,2,11,16 As information moves across a complex digital environment, governance should provide clear accountability for data quality, patient safety, security, privacy, and ongoing risk management.¹¹

For healthcare organizations evaluating IoMT security, this means taking a connected approach to cybersecurity and data privacy by viewing devices, networks, data, people, and processes as one interconnected healthcare environment.

Healthcare leaders should evaluate connected-device partners across six areas: data flows, access control, security assurance, incident readiness, governance, and lifecycle support. Together, these criteria indicate whether a connected solution can remain dependable after implementation—not merely whether it performs the intended function at launch. Healthcare leaders must assess how a technology will fit into the hospital’s wider digital and security landscape:

1. Map out the data journey: Understand where data travels, where it is stored, who can access it, and whether any third parties are involved. Protecting sensitive health information and maintaining governance start with clear visibility of data flows.^11,16

2. Understand how access is controlled: Assess how users and third parties access connected devices and systems, particularly where remote vendor access is required. Understand what access is necessary, how access is authenticated and secured, and what data or systems the connection can reach.¹⁶

3. Look beyond certifications: Ask vendors about recognized security standards and certifications, as well as the scope and validity of those credentials. Use them as evidence of a mature security approach, but not as a substitute for assessing the specific risks associated with the device and its connections.^11,12

4. Assess incident readiness: Check how the vendor identifies, reports, contains, and responds to cybersecurity incidents, including defined responsibilities for communication, remediation, and recovery.¹¹

5. Clarify governance and accountability: Establish clear responsibility for data, security, privacy, and risk management across the connected environment, including where multiple vendors or third parties are involved. Ask how responsibilities are documented and how they are reviewed as the technology and operating environment change.¹¹

6. Expect transparency and ongoing support: Cybersecurity is an ongoing commitment. Understand how the vendor monitors vulnerabilities, delivers security updates, communicates emerging risks, and supports products throughout their lifecycles.^11,12

When choosing a trusted technology partner, it’s critical to look beyond the promise of what the connected solution can do and take a rigorous view of how it will remain secure and supported as the healthcare environment evolves.

Connected medical devices can transform healthcare by streamlining hospital workflows, improving access to information, supporting faster decision-making, and enabling more coordinated care.^3,5,9,10 But connectivity alone isn’t enough—healthcare organizations also need confidence in the data, security, and systems that underpin connected healthcare.

To realize the full operational value of connected technologies, organizations should make digital trust central to technology decisions from the outset. Healthcare leaders should consider cybersecurity, data privacy, governance, and ongoing support alongside functionality and connectivity.^3,11,12,16