What You Should Know:
– A recent report by KLAS Research highlights the key trends shaping healthcare IT investments across the globe in 2025.
– The study, which involved interviews with 174 healthcare organizations across 39 countries and territories (excluding the US), reveals a significant shift in priorities, with AI and analytics taking center stage. The findings also shed light on the increasing adoption of cloud technologies and the evolving role of consulting firms in guiding these transformations.
Top Healthcare IT Investment Priorities
The KLAS report identifies several key areas of focus for healthcare IT investments:
- AI and Analytics: This has become the top priority, with 54% of respondents citing it as a key investment area. This surge is largely attributed to the rapid advancement of AI technology and its potential to drive clinical and administrative efficiencies.
- EHR/Digitalization: Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems and the broader digitalization of healthcare processes remain a critical focus, with 47% of organizations prioritizing these areas.
- IT/Infrastructure: Investment in IT infrastructure, including cloud planning, system updates, and cybersecurity, is a priority for 30% of respondents.
- Other Priorities: Other significant investment areas include imaging (22%), cybersecurity (21%), interoperability (21%), and digital health (18%).
The Rise of AI and Analytics
The focus on AI and analytics has seen a dramatic increase in the past two years. In 2023, data analytics was the sixth-most mentioned investment priority, rising to third in 2024 and now claiming the top spot in 2025. This trend is fueled by the growing recognition of AI’s potential to improve clinical and administrative workflows, with applications in areas such as documentation, radiology, and disease detection. While interest in AI is high, many organizations are still in the early stages of adoption, focusing on testing solutions and establishing governance structures.
Regional Variations in AI and Analytics Adoption
The adoption of AI and analytics varies across different regions:
- Asia and Canada: These regions show the broadest focus on data analytics, with over 70% of respondents citing it as a top investment priority.
- Europe and the Middle East: Organizations in these regions tend to have a narrower focus, concentrating on specific AI use cases to improve efficiency. For example, there’s significant interest in ambient speech technology in the UK and other efficiency-enhancing tools in Europe.
- Latin America: The focus here is primarily on general AI strategies and business intelligence (BI) tools.
- Middle East and Africa: BI analytics remains the dominant focus, although some organizations in Saudi Arabia and the UAE are exploring broader AI applications.
Ambient Speech Technology Gains Traction
Ambient speech technology has emerged as a particularly exciting innovation in healthcare. Its ability to reduce the documentation burden on clinicians and improve their satisfaction has made it a top investment priority for many organizations.
Cloud Adoption Accelerates
Global cloud adoption continues to grow, driven by the need to support AI initiatives and modernize foundational systems. There’s a shift from simply preparing for the cloud to actively adopting cloud solutions. While hybrid deployments are still common, there’s a move towards greater cloud maturity. Asia, Canada, and Europe have seen the most significant increase in cloud maturity, with organizations migrating EHR and ERP systems to the cloud.
Cloud Provider Landscape
The choice of cloud providers varies by region, influenced by factors such as data sovereignty regulations.
- Microsoft Azure: Azure is the most considered or used cloud provider in most regions, with significant growth in Asia.
- AWS: Amazon Web Services (AWS) is gaining traction, particularly in Asia and Europe, with increasing consideration for large-scale projects.
- Google Cloud Platform (GCP): GCP is also seeing increased interest, especially for AI, machine learning, and predictive analytics applications.
The Role of Consulting Firms
Consulting firms play a significant role in assisting healthcare organizations with their HIT investments.
- Increased Consideration in Canada: There’s a notable increase in the consideration of consulting firms in Canada, with 92% of respondents indicating they would consider using a firm for future engagements.
- Top Consulting Firms: The “Big 4” consulting firms (Deloitte, EY, KPMG, and PwC) are widely recognized. Deloitte is frequently mentioned for healthcare management consulting, IT advisory, and implementation services.
- Types of Services: IT advisory services are the most sought-after consulting engagements, followed by healthcare management consulting and implementation services.
For more information about the KLAS report, click here.
