Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer at the edge of specialty healthcare. It’s already at the very center of strategic planning and operations. Yet as adoption continues to gain momentum, caution and care must be priorities: Each organization must safeguard, integrate, and operationalize AI to its most significant needs and privacy requirements. As senior technology and finance leaders plan for the future, they seek partners who offer innovative solutions and provide a carefully drawn roadmap for trustworthy, scalable, and mission-aligned AI implementation. Leaders view the use and adoption of AI as essential for future success amid constrained resources and rising revenue expectations. They are turning to AI as a tool for clinical performance, documentation efficiency, and compliance readiness.
It all sounds so good. Yet while AI accelerates, providers and specialty care leaders are navigating an inflection point: The promise and potential of AI come with practical concerns about integration, adoption, and privacy. A recent Net Health and Becker’s Healthcare survey of 100 senior finance and technology leaders at large health systems reveals a split between enthusiasm and caution, which seems to be a matter of velocity, practical concern, and emotional uncertainty. Health systems see the opportunity and want velocity around implementation; at the same time, they see the practical reality of integration and interoperability. The feelings are another story as well: Giving care and driving better outcomes is a uniquely human experience, one that AI can empower but not replace.
Perhaps the most notable finding is the embrace of AI for clinical decision-making, a potential shift from task-based, efficiency-focused generative AI to more agentic and autonomous use cases. While not fully substantiated, the survey indicates compelling momentum and intent, and aligns with broader market trends. Over 90% of leaders said their organizations are prioritizing AI adoption for clinical decision-making support in the next 12–24 months. This sentiment shows strong enthusiasm and forward-looking investment, even while operational depth is still developing: 57% of respondents reported only moderate to no familiarity with AI-enabled EHR enhancements and DaaS solutions, suggesting that many organizations are still building foundational understanding and infrastructure.
So, while the survey doesn’t prove a clear shift toward agentic AI, it does reflect readiness and curiosity about more advanced, decision-supporting applications, a logical next step beyond generative AI’s initial use as an efficiency tool. It’s fair to claim, then, that healthcare leaders aspire to move from “can AI help me write/summarize?” toward “can AI help me decide/act?” — a significant step that could provide humans with greater power to care for and heal others.
Access the full survey results here.
