IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Healthcare Industry 2025 Predictions
This IDC study provides executives across the globe with actionable insights and analysis for future healthcare industry scenarios."The healthcare industry is at the forefront of a technological era poised to redefine patient care for the long run, but this transformation is not without its challenges," says Mutaz Shegewi, senior research director at IDC Health Insights. "The future mandates that healthcare organizations not only embrace cutting-edge AI and GenAI but also navigate regulatory challenges, foster trust in the technology, secure their data at all times, and seamlessly integrate their vision for tomorrow into evolving care and reimbursement models. Those that thrive will proactively prioritize responsible, human-centric AI practices throughout the journey and continuously invest not just in technologies but also in their workforce's ability to adapt to and champion change."
IDC FutureScape Figure
Executive Summary
IDC FutureScape Predictions
Summary of External Drivers
Predictions: Impact on Technology Buyers
Prediction 1: By 2026, Healthcare GenAI Investments Will Triple, Driven by Rapid Use Case Deployment, More Curated Clinical Data, and Increased Organizational Buy-In
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Patient Impact
Guidance
Prediction 2: By 2027, 75% of Healthcare GenAI Initiatives Will Fail to Achieve Expected Benefits Due to Barriers to Adoption Like Trustworthiness of the Data, Disconnected Workflows, and End-User Resistance
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Patient Impact
Guidance
Prediction 3: By 2027, Growing Cybersecurity Risks Will Push 40% of Healthcare Organizations to Adopt AI-Based Threat Intelligence Solutions to Ensure Care Continuity and Safeguard Patients
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Patient Impact
Guidance
Prediction 4: By 2027, the Healthcare Industry Will Save up to $382 Billion by Significantly Optimizing Clinical, Operational, and Administrative Workflows Through Intelligent Automation
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Patient Impact
Guidance
Prediction 5: By 2027, 40% of Patients Will Enroll in Multiyear Reimbursement Models That Cause the Need for Long-Term Infrastructure Investment to Support Linking Payment to Customized, Longitudinal Care Models
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Patient Impact
Guidance
Prediction 6: By 2028, Driven by the Demand for Enhanced Care Collaboration, Expanded Clinician and Consumer Access, and Enhanced Digital Literacy, 80% of Patients Will Utilize Hybrid Care
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Patient Impact
Guidance
Prediction 7: By 2029, AI-Driven Public Health 3.0 Initiatives Will Accelerate Policy Planning, Execution, and Resource Mobilization, Expanding Local Community Engagement and Program Coverage by 50%
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Patient Impact
Guidance
Prediction 8: By 2029, Healthcare Investments in AI-Powered Early Detection Programs Will Triple to Fight the "Next Pandemic" of Noncommunicable Diseases, Focusing on Cancer and Neurological Diseases
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Patient Impact
Guidance
Prediction 9: By 2029, Large Healthcare Providers Will Scale the Adoption of Patient Digital Twins by 60% to Transform Medical Education, Enhance Clinical Cost-Effectiveness, and Drive Safer Personalized Care Protocols
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Patient Impact
Guidance
Prediction 10: By 2029, at Least 50% of Complex, High-Volume Surgeries at Top Global Hospitals Will Use AI-Driven, Real-Time Guidance, Haptic Feedback, and Advanced Analytics, Reducing Surgical Complications by 60%
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Patient Impact
Guidance
Advice for Technology Buyers
External Drivers: Detail
AI-Driven Business Models — Moving from AI Experimentation to Monetization
The Drive to Automate — Toward a Data-Driven Future
Regulatory Flux — Navigating Compliance Challenges in a Shifting Policy Landscape
Expanding Digital Security Frontiers — Fortification Against Multiplying Threats
Responsible and Human-Centric Technology — Ethics in the Enterprise
Battling Against Technical Debt — Overcoming Hurdles to IT Modernization
Customer Experience Squared — Consumer and Citizen Expectations for Digital Services
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Related Research
Endnotes
Research Assistance
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