Healthcare organizations face an increasingly complex digital landscape that is rapidly evolving. How can organizations thrive amid this constant change? New research from Huron identifies five priorities essential for successful digital transformation: foundational technology investments, data integration, enhanced interoperability, healthcare workforce optimization and cautious artificial intelligence (AI) implementation.
Insights drawn from technology leaders at national and regional healthcare systems and academic medical centers highlight how the following strategic priorities can position organizations for sustained growth and improved patient outcomes.
1. Strengthening foundational technology in healthcare
Healthcare leaders increasingly recognize robust foundational technology as essential to digital transformation. Cloud optimization emerged as leaders’ top digital transformation priority, rising 36% from the previous year. This is followed by data management (23% increase) and security and compliance (18% increase), signaling a commitment to building resilient digital infrastructures that support efficient, data-driven decision-making and care delivery.
2. Solving healthcare data integration challenges
Despite widespread acknowledgment of data’s strategic importance, only 17% of healthcare organizations report having a unified view of their data. Fragmented systems significantly limit the potential of healthcare analytics. The top challenge cited by respondents is maintaining data integrity across partner organizations, underscoring the necessity of cohesive healthcare data integration strategies for achieving comprehensive, actionable insights.
3. Improving interoperability for enhanced care
Interoperability remains critical for informed clinical decision-making and care quality improvement. Yet, most technology leaders report low-to-moderate interoperability between their core systems. Nearly 80% of respondents report limited interoperability among electronic health record (EHR) platforms. While fewer (48%) note similar issues for enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, opportunities for improvement persist for many organizations. These findings highlight the ongoing need for solutions that seamlessly integrate core systems with real-time data sources, such as IoT devices and remote patient monitoring tools. Achieving advanced interoperability will be key to accelerating information access and transforming healthcare delivery.
4. Driving healthcare workforce optimization
Facing rising workforce shortages and burnout, healthcare organizations are increasingly prioritizing digital tools that empower their staff. More than 70% of leaders identify digital applications supporting workforce efficiency as an immediate priority, with 60% planning significant investments. Technology focused on healthcare workforce optimization not only improves staff experience but also enhances operational effectiveness and patient care. Ensuring these digital tools add value requires understanding employee needs and challenges, thorough training and thoughtful implementation to maximize staff adoption and return on investment (ROI).
5. Taking a measured approach to AI in healthcare
Although AI offers considerable promise, healthcare organizations are slowing integration to strengthen foundational data and technology infrastructure. This deliberate strategy ensures AI investments align closely with organizational readiness and infrastructure maturity to achieve intended outcomes and maximize long-term success. As healthcare systems move beyond operational use cases into clinical applications, this foundation will be pertinent to mitigate risk and build consumer trust.
The opportunity for healthcare leaders to lead digital transformation
As healthcare organizations navigate their digital transformation journeys, these five priorities offer a roadmap for strategic investment and innovation. By focusing on technology modernization, integrated data strategies, improved interoperability, empowered healthcare workforces and strategic AI integration, healthcare organizations can effectively position themselves for sustainable growth and elevated healthcare delivery.
For more insight into where healthcare technology leaders are prioritizing their focus and investments, view Huron’s full healthcare digital research.
