From the rise of personalized nutrition to the growing importance of interoperability, healthcare is on the cusp of transformative change. Explore the key trends and predictions that will shape the healthcare landscape in 2025, according to 25 industry leaders.
Naveen Jain, CEO and Founder of Viome
“By 2025, personalized nutrition will evolve from a niche innovation to a cornerstone of mainstream wellness. Faced with escalating healthcare costs, insurers and employers will adopt precision nutrition as a cost-effective strategy to enhance population health. Advances in AI, genomics, and microbiome science will accelerate the transition from reactive treatment to proactive, precision-driven health management. Policy shifts may integrate healthcare and agriculture, incentivizing the cultivation of nutrient-dense, microbiome-supportive foods. Strategic public-private collaborations could democratize health technologies, addressing systemic inequities and expanding access to transformative solutions. These forces, together, will redefine the intersection of wellness and healthcare, steering us toward a future where personalized health is both scalable and equitable.”
Oliver Kharraz, Founder & CEO, Zocdoc
Tech giants have had a notable lack of traction in healthcare, and Amazon, Apple, Google, and Microsoft have all learned firsthand that this space is not easy to disrupt from the outside in. While most have retrenched, Amazon has persisted. Despite various pivots, it has not yet been able to show traction in this space. For a company that prizes efficiency, it is untenable to continue to carry hundreds of millions in losses. 2025 will be the year that they determine that they don’t have the margins to make healthcare work, and managing healthcare providers is a very different business than managing logistics. We may see a pivot that prioritizes pharmacy—which is more aligned with their core competencies and is more scalable—and divests other care services.
Dr. Shantanu Nundy, EVP and Chief Health Officer, Accolade
In 2025, I anticipate a number of digital health companies to either fold or have to compromise on their core mission, and many health systems having to go back-to-basics and revert to their old ways due to profitability pressures. I am optimistic that well-positioned health systems will finally begin to harness investments in the three Ds (distributed, digitally enabled, decentralized) to reinvent healthcare, although at the risk of creating more of the have and have-nots. I’m also optimistic that the new administration will further accelerate the adoption of AI and hopefully with the appropriate safeguards in place.
Brad Kittredge, CEO and Co-Founder of Brightside Health
For several years, industry watchers have wondered whether the billions invested in digital health would pay off. In 2025, I expect that we’ll start to see the winning crop of companies emerge, with several filing for IPOs.
Additionally, I believe we will witness even more collaboration as hospitals and health systems turn to digital health solutions for support in delivering mental health care. Health systems are unable to manage the demand for care and the diversity of needs on their own. The industry will continue to take a more integrated approach between traditional healthcare and telemental healthcare for the delivery of high-quality, timely, and affordable mental health care, achieving better patient outcomes and reducing provider burden.
Dr. Annie Tsui, chief of neurology, Access TeleCare
“The physician shortage will continue to limit healthcare options for patients, but technology will ease the burden on clinicians and increase accessibility for those seeking care. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) brought to light earlier this year that the physician shortage could reach as many as 86,000 providers by 2036. Knowing that patients may wait a year-plus for a specialist appointment, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of two things: preventative care and telemedicine. Patients should utilize a primary care physician regularly and stay on top of routine care, along with diet and exercise. Doing so will reduce the need to see specialists. Patients may also be unaware of how broadly telemedicine has been adopted over the past few years in order to expand access to care, including at their local hospital. It’s an excellent and growing – but still underutilized – resource that can improve their overall outcomes and significantly expedite a patient’s healthcare journey.”
Dan Nardi, CEO of Reimagine Care
“Patients in cancer treatment deserve care that fits seamlessly into their lives—whether that’s in the hospital, at home, or through virtual and digital connections at the right times. As we look ahead to 2025, I anticipate the delivery of on-demand, personalized support, will continue to become more widely available. A focus on proactive care, as highlighted by the Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM) Quality Measure #1, is about more than just keeping patients out of the hospital; it’s about giving them peace of mind and simplifying their care journey.”
Christoph Pedain, PhD, Business Leader, Hospital Patient Monitoring at Philips
“In 2025, interoperability is expected to see greater adoption, driven by collaboration among health technology vendors. Currently, 38% of clinicians believe that pulling together patient data takes time away from patient care. Interoperability offers a solution by enabling clinicians to extract meaningful insights from vast amounts of patient data.
One key advancement is the initial deployment of service-oriented device connectivity (SDC) standards, which are poised to become the industry norm. SDC facilitates seamless interoperability across medical devices and platforms, creating a common language between SDC-ready devices. This allows clinicians to access and act on data from various technologies, such as patient monitors, sensors, and infusion pumps, regardless of the manufacturer. This enhanced data accessibility supports accurate decision-making and improves the quality of patient care.
However, to unlock the full potential of SDC, the industry must prioritize collaboration over competition. Health technology vendors need to commit to creating an open ecosystem for patient data and prioritize interoperability when designing new solutions and platforms.”
Jason Herzog, CO-Founder and CEO and Holon Health
In 2025, digital solutions will continue to grow in popularity and adoption. We’re anticipating that medication-assisted treatment (MAT) via telehealth will be granted a permanent extension via legislation. These trends will continue to allow greater access to more patients, particularly those who have been hard to reach or reluctant to engage in traditional models. We anticipate that these flexible and virtual care options will continue to gain momentum as we see improvement in engagement and outcomes.
AI and digital apps will have the most significant impact on substance use disorder (SUD) treatment in 2025. We predict that AI functionality will continue to reduce administrative frustrations for providers and patients—leading to a better experience for both.
Andy Flanagan, CEO at Iris Telehealth
“The future of behavioral healthcare will mirror the patient-centric flexibility that sparked the telehealth revolution – but this time, for providers. We’ll see the emergence of “practice autonomy” as a fundamental right of mental health professionals, where clinicians design their own hybrid delivery models based on their expertise and lifestyle needs. This shift will trigger a mass exodus from traditional office-bound practices toward fluid care models where providers choose their work environment based on clinical effectiveness rather than institutional mandates. The result? A behavioral health workforce that’s more satisfied, more stable, and ultimately more effective at delivering care.”
Angel Mena, MD, Chief Medical Officer, symplr
Clinicians are uniquely positioned to bridge the gaps between IT, operations, and patient care. However, as the 2024 Compass Survey highlights, 85% of clinicians still waste significant time on administrative tasks – time that could be reclaimed through better collaboration and technology alignment. The solution is clear: clinicians must be brought into the fold early, not just as users but as decision-makers in technology strategy. By actively involving clinicians in system consolidation efforts and pre-purchase decisions, health systems can reduce redundancies, enhance patient care, and protect staff from burnout. The future of healthcare depends on leveraging clinicians’ insights to create systems that actually work for everyone (patients included).
Graham Gardner, CEO & Founder of Kyruus Health
“Facing unprecedented demand for healthcare services from the aging population, the most innovative healthcare organizations will broaden their network of care offerings beyond their traditional provider groups. By incorporating virtual-first provider partners, retail clinics, and self-service clinical programs, these organizations will ensure access for patients needing in-person appointments while retaining the loyalty of all of those who turn to them for care.”
Harshit Jain, MD – Founder & Global CEO, Doceree
“The complexities of healthcare have established it as a science in its own right. In 2024, as digital adoption expanded across the healthcare industry, marketing communications also evolved, significantly influenced by technologies like Artificial Intelligence. Brands have increasingly shifted focus from merely engaging healthcare professionals (HCPs) to achieving healthcare outcomes through improved script lifts, in partnership with HIPAA certified, data-compliant platforms—all thanks to advanced AI solutions that are helping brands reach HCPs at scale and with precision. Moving into 2025, the ability of brands to leverage AI for ‘personalised communication’ and delivery of the ‘right messaging at the right time’ will be observed with even established brands prioritising data security and privacy alongside technological advances. At Doceree, we shall remain dedicated to enriching HCP-patient engagement, strengthening global partnerships, and empowering the life sciences sector to reach new milestones responsibly and ethically.”
Bethany Robertson, Clinical Executive, Wolters Kluwer Health
During the third quarter of 2024, there were 27 announced hospital mergers and acquisitions, representing $13.3 billion in transacted revenue marking the highest number in seven years. As healthcare mergers and acquisitions reshape the industry, one critical yet often overlooked factor is cultural alignment, especially within care teams. This is where nursing leaders must step in—bridging the gap between clinical excellence and strategic integration. Nurse leaders, such as Chief Nursing Officers/Chief Nurse Executives, are uniquely positioned to ensure seamless integrations across healthcare facilities, promoting patient-centered care and clinical excellence while building trust and cohesion across diverse teams. These cultural and competency alignments are vital for effective collaboration in newly merged organizations, supporting a stable, unified approach to patient care and organizational success.
Frank Harvey, Chief Executive Officer, Surescripts
“In 2025, I expect healthcare’s narrative will be one of transformation—driven by optimism, innovation, and cross-sector collaboration. For clinicians, pharmacists, health plans, technology providers—and anyone who has a role in supporting patient care—the path forward starts with a willingness to come together and talk to move forward collaboratively. From there, we will continue to work together to find solutions for our challenges but also continue innovating for the future of healthcare. We must remember that we have more in common than it may seem, and the most important thing we all share is our purpose—helping improve patient care.”
Tom Langan, Interim CEO, Veradigm
In 2025, I see a renewed focus in establishing unified networks that bridge all healthcare stakeholders, from providers, to payers, to life sciences. I refer to this as the “Veradigm Network.” This approach not only drives efficiency but ensures that care is coordinated and effective. I predict that we’ll see several important initiatives across the healthcare ecosystem to ensure a more seamless data exchange, including the use of AI to standardize data formats and strengthened bi-directional connections between providers and payers.
Jeff Smith, CEO of Bamboo Health
In 2025, payers and providers must align more closely on shared outcomes and quality metrics. This will be critical to reducing costs and improving care for high-cost, high-need patients, especially those with mental illness, substance use disorder, and comorbidities. Currently, preventable mental health-related expenses cost the U.S. nearly $477.5 billion annually, a number expected to rise significantly without intervention. By focusing on key metrics like Follow-Up After Hospitalization for Mental Illness (FUH), Follow-Up After Emergency Department Visit for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (FUA) and Follow-Up After Emergency Department Visit for Mental Illness (FUM), payers and providers can bridge gaps in care, support early intervention and elevate whole-person health outcomes.
Chris Bowen, founder and CISO at ClearDATA
Cloud Will Be the Dominant Infrastructure in Healthcare. By 2025, most healthcare organizations will have completed their transition to cloud-first strategies. The adoption of cloud services will accelerate due to their scalability, cost efficiency, and the ability to support key healthcare delivery mechanisms, like telehealth, EHR systems, and data-intensive applications like genomics and AI-driven diagnostics.
Sujay Jadhav, CEO at Verana Health
“In 2025, external control arms (ECAs) are expected to gain broader acceptance in clinical research, thanks to their ability to leverage real-world data (RWD) from reliable sources such as electronic health records (EHRs). This approach can help address significant ethical dilemmas in randomized controlled trials where patients in need of treatment are randomized to placebo, even when effective treatments already exist; and in rare diseases, where there are often no or few treatment options available. In rare diseases, where there are smaller patient populations, ECAs allow researchers to utilize existing data, rather than having to find enough patients to enroll in a trial. RWD enables ECAs that address this challenge by providing high-quality insights on patients with similar conditions, treatments, and outcomes. The data creates a reliable comparison group, reducing the need for non-interventional groups and accelerating the development of new therapies—all while upholding scientific standards.”
Dr. Jon Bloom, CEO & Co-founder of Podimetrics
“In 2025, expect to see increased adoption of GenAI-powered services that will improve patient experience and engagement, all with a laser focus on improving adherence for the most at-risk patient populations. At the company I lead, we’re already hearing and seeing a call for this from the health plans and at-risk providers that we support with preventive diabetes care targeted at the highest risk patients who are most likely to experience a diabetic foot ulcer or worse, a diabetic amputation. These patients, many of whom are covered by Medicaid and/or represent minority populations, are already highly overwhelmed with just managing their diabetes and are greatly in need of education and coaching support to handle the myriad of comorbidities they are experiencing. Next year, look for increased investment and adoption of GenAI-powered services that are focused on patient engagement and experience, and that surround the patient with technology, education, coaching, and consistent personalized communications – as well as SDOH-specific support – in order to maximize adherence and outcomes for diverse, at-risk patients.”
Tony Vahedian, CEO of CCS
“According to a recent report, the physical and mental health status of Americans is deteriorating at an alarming rate, driven by the rise in chronic conditions. From 2020 to 2050, the percentage of U.S. adults with chronic conditions is projected to increase by 12.4 percentage points. While clinician burnout has dominated newspaper headlines, burnout in patients with chronic conditions– and their caregivers– has emerged as a silent crisis. The emotional toll of managing a chronic condition in our highly fragmented health system is profound, resulting in a 2-3X increase in mental health challenges than those without a chronic condition. My prediction for 2025 is that this crisis will finally command the attention it deserves, motivating the industry to take action. Harnessing the power of AI models to predict those patients most likely to discontinue therapy is an important first step. Next year, I also foresee the healthcare industry taking the right steps to finally defragment chronic care management for patients and caregivers, including surrounding patients with a consumer-like personalized experience that integrates both education and coaching on disease management; therapy (device and medication); and the ongoing lifestyle changes that lead to long-term healthier habits.”
Jake Pyles, CEO at CipherHealth
Value-Based Care Adoption Across the Maturity Spectrum
While traditionally led by progressive health systems, value-based care (VBC) is now being embraced by more “middle-of-the-pack” organizations, catalyzed by CMS and initiatives like the TEAM payment model. In 2025, expect this trend to grow as healthcare providers across the board, regardless of their previous VBC readiness, recognize the need to move beyond fee-for-service models. This shift signals that VBC is no longer an optional pathway but a requisite for sustainable, quality care across healthcare settings.
Dr. Luke Hansen, MD, MHS, Chief Medical Officer, Arcadia
“Price transparency will be a growing focus in healthcare in 2025, but perhaps not in the way you’d think. While we may not see price transparency data directly transform how patient consumers shop for services, savvy healthcare organizations will increasingly guide patients toward cost-effective care informed by clearer pricing information. For example, an employer could use price transparency data alongside quality data to identify opportunities to design high-value specialty networks. Using this data-driven approach, employers can approach referral patterns with new clarity informed by the value that individual providers bring compared to others in the market. This incremental insight is especially critical to accelerate the spread of value-based care in the commercial line of business.”
Quentin Blackford, President and CEO at iRhythm
Primary Care will be the Gateway to Early Detection and Specialized Care
With specialty care in the U.S. continuing to face an overload leading to long patient wait times for appointments, primary care will solidify its role as the gateway to early detection and specialized care, enabled by actionable insights from remote monitoring devices. These digital health tools powered by AI and integrated into existing workflows will empower primary care to identify conditions earlier, guide timely treatment, and reduce the burden on specialists. This shift will enhance care coordination, improve patient outcomes, and optimize resource allocation across the healthcare system.
Amy Brown, founder and CEO of Authenticx
There will be an industry recognition of the healthcare system’s determinants of health (HSDOH).
When it comes to predicting healthcare status, risk level and outcomes for patients, much of the focus, historically, has been placed on clinical factors. In the mid 1900s, the recognition of social determinants of health began to gain recognition. Next year, the industry will realize that health outcomes are impacted by more than just clinical care and patient social determinants. The “healthcare system determinants of health” (or HSDOH) will emerge as an unavoidable truth the healthcare industry and regulators must acknowledge if there is to be any real change in the access, affordability and clinical outcomes in the U.S.
Meredith Kirchner, Chief Operating Officer at Curae
“In 2025, health systems will transition from traditional payment plans to a more retail-like solution: patient financing programs. These programs address rising interest rates and growing, unsustainable out-of-pocket costs by offering flexible, structured payment options that make healthcare expenses more manageable for patients. By securing payments for patient responsibilities and implementing sustainable solutions, health systems can navigate increasing financial pressures while balancing patient affordability, engagement, and care access. Further, patient financing programs directly respond to disruptions in the medical debt industry as populous states enact laws restricting debt collection— such as prohibiting providers from pursuing balances for patients below certain FPL thresholds or selling patient debt. These programs, which provide loans or credit through third-party institutions with clear terms and regulatory oversight, ensure reliable cash flow and reduce reliance on collections. As these shifts take hold, patient financing will emerge as the cornerstone of financial strategies, balancing economic sustainability with improved access to care.”