Skip to Main Content
Powered by Ceros

Healthcare executive market research

Leaders innovate to tackle top challenges

Tasked with improving care outcomes 
and alleviating cost pressures with 
limited resources, healthcare executives 
are identifying innovative methods for evolving existing business models and creating a more digitally focused and consumer-centric future.

300

U.S. healthcare executives 
across 5 functions

•  Strategy and innovation

Explore the insights below ↓

Digital advancements top of mind

Top 10 healthcare trends 

Digital and technology trends continue to rise compared to previous research, confirming leaders’ belief that navigating healthcare’s future lies in successful digital transformation. Leaders also indicate an increased focus on care access and virtual care delivery as consumer preferences evolve

This year

3-5 years

Leaders grapple with interconnected challenges

Top 10 healthcare challenges

Healthcare executives report a wide and even focus on challenges, indicating a clear view of the relationship between care, cost, performance, and growth. Data-informed decision-making takes the top spot as leaders aim to harness the power of analytics to resolve complexities across business, clinical, and people areas.

Investing in data structures for better decision-making

Supply chain transformation

Cost reduction/optimization

Regulatory compliance

Redefining portfolio/changing healthcare business model

Finding the right mix of inpatient and outpatient services

Workforce shortages

Managing health system capacity

Addressing consumer experience

Operational efficiency using advanced analytics (AI/ML)

+47%

+23%

-28%

N/A

-27%

-4%

-8%

-18%

0%

0%

Financial pressures and cost-saving measures

Leaders take comprehensive approach to address financial pressures

To better understand industrywide revenue and cost challenges, healthcare leaders 
rank the key financial pressures their organizations face.

In response to widespread financial pressures, leaders are balancing a combination of core 
and transformational cost-saving measures to improve financial health and fund growth priorities.

Click to learn more

1.  Pricing optimization

1.  Supply chain and vendor costs

Top cost-saving measures this year

Supply chain cost reductions

38%

Increasing interoperability & system optimization

36%

Redefining portfolio

35%

Workforce cost reductions

31%

Reconfiguring economic model

30%

Top investments and growth priorities

Technology, employees, and 
consumers key investment priorities

Where leaders are investing

How leaders rank growth priorities

How leaders are implementing AI

3 ways healthcare leaders are driving change

Click to explore

Contact Us

WHO WE SURVEYED

Top trends

= change from previous research

Click to learn more

  1.  Technology infrastructure  
  2.  Care access transformation 
  3.  Digital management and analytics 
  4.  Virtual care delivery
  5.  Cost reduction/optimization 
  6.  Revenue growth 
  7.  Managing health system capacity 
  8.  Health equity 
  9.  Redesigning workforce
  10.  Supply chain management and modernization

Current top challenges

Change from previous research

Revenue pressures

Cost/expense pressures

This year, investment areas and growth priorities go hand-in-hand as leaders aim to enhance the employee and consumer experience, modernize operations, and strategically deploy technology to inform growth initiatives.

77%

are investing in intelligent automation for care delivery

70%

are prioritizing AI tools and RPA as a strategic growth priority 

29%

plan to 
adopt AI tools and RPA to  save costs

23%

are automating revenue 
cycles to confront challenges

Diagnostic and generative artificial intelligence (AI) emerges as a new trend expected to impact organizations in the next three to five years. Leaders cite several areas where they’re implementing or plan to implement more traditional 
forms of AI and automation:

With widespread trends and challenges influencing healthcare, how will organizations adapt? Leaders identify three key actions they’re implementing today. 

Evolve care to become more consumer-centric

01

Re-evaluate portfolios to grow revenue

02

Redesign how work gets done

03

Talk to an expert

*Bold = new trend

Redesigning portfolio remains a key strategic growth priority and cost-saving measure. A quarter of leaders also cite difficulties finding the right mix of inpatient and outpatient services. 

Strategic partnerships  39%

Population health strategies  37%

Advanced technology adoption  36%

Regulatory compliance changes  34%

Integrated and value-based 
care models  
34%

Healthcare organizations are prioritizing culture-focused initiatives. 

Consumer engagement and retention ranks as the top growth priority this year, with leaders championing strategies including care access transformation, virtual care delivery, and improving the consumer experience.

Work redesign emerges as a new trend this year, and culture-focused initiatives are a top priority.

  1. Virtual care delivery  
  2.  Technology infrastructure 
  3.  Revenue growth 
  4.  Workforce mental health
  5.  Cost reduction/optimization 
  6.  Diagnostic and generative AI 
  7.  Care delivery
  8.  Health equity 
  9.  Care access transformation
  10.  New economic models