The new Better Platform release update is here with important improvements across security, performance, and developer experience, along with a first look at capabilities that will shape what comes next. Read on to explore the updates and see how they strengthen the Better Platform.
Distributed Authentication 3.0
Distributed Authentication 3.0 introduces scriptable token‑mapping configurations, replacing the current YAML‑based system.
Why does scripting outperform YAML, even if users never see it? Complex, real‑world rules are easier to encode and maintain over time, reducing brittle configurations that break logins. Scriptable token mapping delivers smoother sign‑ins, faster access changes, and more accurate permissions, therefore minimising user friction and building trust in the system every day.
When organisations use multiple identity providers (e.g., a hospital group with Entra ID and a lab partner with Google Identity or Keycloak), scriptable mapping normalises attributes and resolves edge cases without waiting for a platform update. This results in fewer failed or looped logins and consistent single sign‑on across applications.
Improvements in Clinical Data Repository (CDR) and Operational Data Repository (ODR)
Our Clinical Data Repository, aka EHR Server, has reached version 4.7.8. The latest updates deliver several improvements that make everyday work faster and more efficient. A set of new AQL functions for advanced querying, covering string, numeric, and date operations, enable building more expressive queries with ease. Query performance has been optimised, and view handling is now more flexible with configurable limits and improved error messages for clarity. Maintenance is simpler thanks to better reindexing options, while auditing is more robust with extended OAuth2 support and Kafka property enhancements. Together, these improvements deliver smoother operations, stronger standards compliance, and a better developer experience.
Operational Data Repository, aka Demographics Server, now runs at version 4.12, which introduces faster access control, along with streamlined resource validation for better efficiency. Searching names is now faster and more accurate. Support for versioned canonical URLs in FHIR profile validation and type factory functions in FhirPath enhances FHIR standards compliance. The functionality for smoother integration with Dashboard Server 2.0 has also been added. Combined with dependency upgrades for security and fixes to OpenSearch date queries, these changes deliver a more reliable and scalable foundation for demographics and operational data.
Workflows Alpha: Building the engine for smarter care coordination
The Alpha phase of the Workflows has been completed, and it is building a powerful engine to automate clinical pathways and streamline care coordination. Embeddable widgets and the Workflow Builder to enable seamless activation within existing applications will be next, and this marks the beginning of smarter, connected workflows across the entire Better Platform.
Dashboard Server 2.0 Alpha: Unlocking patient group insights for better outcomes
With Dashboard Server, a flexible capability to define and manage patient cohorts for analytics, care planning, and population health is comming. Next steps include integration with additional data sources such as Simple Tasks, along with ABAC for advanced authorisation.
As the year comes to a close
It has been an amazing period in many ways, and one of the highlights for us has been Better being recognised as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: EMEA Healthcare Data Platforms for Providers 2025.
For us, this is not just an industry acknowledgment, it’s a validation of the long-term vision behind the Better Platform: open standards, clinical depth, and a platform designed to evolve with healthcare itself.
If you’d like to learn more about the evaluation and the context behind this recognition, we invite you to read the report excerpt. Any additional questions or ideas you might have related to the Better Platform, please send them our way below!
