Healthcare organizations are implementing commercial AI solutions at more than twice the rate (2.2x) of the broader US economy, according to a recent report from Menlo Ventures. Hospitals and health systems dominate AI adoption in healthcare, accounting for 75% of the spending total. The greatest current demand for AI in healthcare is among provider organizations that must improve doctors’ workflows and cut admin waste. AI startups and incumbents will compete by delivering revenue-driving tools that go beyond note transcription and earning physician trust through models that enhance diagnostic accuracy.

The trend: Healthcare executives expect AI adoption to be the leading trend in the next two years and have high expectations for improvements in patient care, per a new survey from Sage Growth Partners. Sage surveyed 101 healthcare system and hospital C-suite executives during the second quarter about AI opportunities and investment plans. AI can help healthcare shift from reactive to proactive care by transforming the vast amount of data from health sensors into actionable insights. However, the key is to integrate this AI as a tool to support, not replace, a provider's judgment. AI predictive assessments and analytics add valuable information, but providers’ experience, critical thinking, and empathy are necessary not only for balanced diagnoses but also to maintain patients’ trust. A recent study in JAMA found that patients think physicians who use AI are less trustworthy, less competent, and less empathetic than those who didn’t. For now at least, AI use in healthcare is a significant perception hurdle requiring transparent disclosure and careful oversight.

The trend: US consumers are losing faith in most components of the healthcare system, including federal health agencies and their leaders, drugmakers, insurers, and hospitals. Our take: Marketers at healthcare and pharma organizations (including providers, insurers, public health agencies, and drugmakers) must develop strategies to rebuild trust and guide patients to reliable information during a time of great uncertainty. Vaccine makers should partner with trusted medical groups, local physicians, and pharmacists to develop educational materials with clinical data that counter vaccine hesitancy among consumers. Pharma companies and insurers should address consumer frustrations through open public dialogue and provide transparent explanations for controversial pricing decisions. Drugmakers should additionally monitor condition-specific forums and social platforms like Reddit, where consumers share treatment experiences, and use these spaces to offer cost-saving tools for pricey medications.

The trend: Over three-quarters of US hospitals now task pharmacists with patient care responsibilities, according to a recently published survey from the American Society of Health System Pharmacists. Our take: Struggling retail pharmacies should also entrust pharmacists to play a bigger role in patient care, especially as some drugstores pivot to health-focused store formats.

Consumer trust in the US healthcare system and its key players has eroded. Brands now face patients who distrust traditional guidance—often due to political polarization—and seek answers from unverified sources. Here’s how brands and marketers can win back patient trust and rebuild deteriorating reputations.

Prescription drug prices along with other healthcare costs like hospital services and nursing homes, are growing faster than overall inflation, but slower than consumer costs like housing, food, and coffee, per GoodRx Research’s latest data. Pharma marketers need to use empathy to connect with the growing group of underinsured consumers. They should be transparent about prices and acknowledge the frustration consumers feel around the complexity of the US healthcare and insurance system. Proactively highlight help offered for consumers like financial assistance, savings tools, and patient support programs.

US healthcare workers don’t feel appreciated, and many are considering leaving their current place of employment, according to a recent Harris Poll survey. Some frontline healthcare workers will jump from one hospital or medical clinic to another, but others will leave the industry outright. Provider organizations must proactively invest in developing their employees by offering education and career advancement opportunities, and committing to workplace safety amid rising violence against healthcare workers.

The pharma industry moved up from last place in Gallup’s annual survey of US industry reputation, although 58% of consumers still view the industry negatively. Healthcare fared better landing in the middle of the list, but still notched a 51% negative rating. Consumers are still angry about high pharma drug prices, but they’re increasingly aware that insurers, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and hospital systems are part of the problem. There’s an opportunity for pharma to continue to spotlight how PBMs drive up drug prices, for instance. But companies should also amplify more recent efforts, like creating US jobs by building more manufacturing plants in the US and making some medications more accessible in direct-to-consumer programs, to win back public goodwill.

The news: The newly passed Trump federal budget slashes healthcare spending by more than $1 trillion over the next 10 years. The takeaway: The cascading effect of federal spending cuts to Medicaid and ACA is poised to reshape US healthcare with more uninsured patients, lower payments and higher costs for physicians and healthcare systems, rural hospital closings, and increased costs for insurers. We expect advanced cost-cutting measures and lobbying for concessions as the industry braces for the initial effects next year.

AI scribe tools that transcribe doctors’ notes save doctors only a minimal amount of time, according to a recent UCLA Health study. Healthcare AI scribe developers already face high provider churn due to a crowded market and the ease of switching between competing products. They must now prove their product's value extends beyond time savings (modest or significant) to include areas like improving patient care, enhancing the patient experience to drive retention, or ensuring more accurate clinical notes for billing and coding.

EHR giant Epic is being sued by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who alleges the company blocks competition and restricts access to patient health data. The lawsuit adds to recent public and private sector signals that call for hospitals and patients to have better access to health data. While Paxton might have political motives outside of the health tech realm the lawsuit’s outcome could open the market to more Big Tech and digital health/AI players to create solutions that strengthen consumers’ and providers’ ability to access and share medical data across entities.

Digital health tech funding continues to rebound in 2025, bolstered by AI deals. Funding reached $3.9 billion in Q3, already surpassing last year’s total, per PitchBook. AI is driving a new wave of digital health investment, and both healthcare systems and providers will feel pressure to adopt AI-assisted tool, not just experiment with them.

Alphabet subsidiary Verily is launching a free health app offering personalized guidance from clinicians. The Verily Me app will also have an AI agent to answer people’s health questions based on their medical records. Verily’s competitive advantage over bigger companies with brand-name is that it has clinician partners and access to some medical record data. The company should leverage its network of doctors to endorse Verily Me to their patients, using real-world examples to demonstrate the benefit of combining a person’s health history with a medical expert’s view for individualized guidance.

More than half (53%) of US physicians plan to significantly increase AI use over the next year, per a DHC Group and Sermo study in November. As physicians increasingly rely on AI for support, the information they encounter will be shaped by the quality of the science-based content that AI systems will surface.

The news: Epic rolled out new genAI tools for clinicians, including an AI scribe solution that transcribes doctors’ notes during patient visits. Epic will incorporate ambient technology from Microsoft to power its medical documentation technology. Our take: Epic’s AI scribe solution with Microsoft/Nuance as its development partner delivers a major blow to startups like Abridge and Ambience. These two companies are part of a booming ambient AI scribe space that has totaled nearly $1 billion in investment funding so far this year, per a July analysis from STAT. But Epic’s presence will make it much tougher for smaller players to stand out in the category, since doctors will be drawn in by the efficiency of using scribe tools from their EHR system.

Oracle’s new AI portal, built on OpenAI’s technology, will let patients ask questions and get plain-language explanations about test results, diagnoses, and treatment options. Oracle understands patients are already using AI to interpret health records, so offering a safer, private way to do so is a smart move. Healthtech providers need to ensure AI tools for patients are highly accurate and offer clear guidance to users on how to use the tools, what the limits are, and when to seek human medical advice. Accuracy plus transparency is critical to building patient and provider trust.

The news: CVS is expanding primary care services at its MinuteClinics via partnerships with health systems, per Modern Healthcare. The final word: We don’t see CVS’ MinuteClinic affiliations with healthcare providers as a signal that retail healthcare is making a comeback. CVS is in a different position from other retail clinic operators since it can steer Aetna members to its medical services. But consumers have made it clear that they’re not too interested in getting healthcare at drugstores where unhealthy items like junk food are sold—especially when there are a plethora of other options. Companies that want to stay in the retail clinic space would be wise to position their services around nutritious food items, OTC health supplements, and pharmacist support to show folks they’re serious about being a patient care destination.

Despite persistent inequities in the US healthcare system, Black, Hispanic, and Asian consumers are more positive about health and wellness. They actively look for and buy healthcare products and information online. To effectively reach Black, Hispanic, and Asian consumers, marketers should consider the following: Reflect their positive outlook on health and wellness. Be specific about how your brand can help. Use digital channels and social media to create engaging, educational videos. Partner with health influencers to connect with these younger, culturally aware audiences.

The trend: Nearly one-quarter of patients (24%) who are pleased with the quality of their recent medical care may still change doctors in the next 6 months, according to a new survey from Huron Consulting Group. Our take: People used to have limited options for healthcare and just went with whatever was in their insurance network. But things are changing, and providers can no longer bet on this. To compete with new tech-savvy healthcare companies, traditional clinics and health systems need to adapt. While they may not be able to match them completely, they should at least adopt some of the features that patients want.

The trend: Consumers pay broadly different prices for the same healthcare procedures across the US, with the highest average negotiated rate more than 9 times the lowest average rate in a recent assessment by Trilliant Health. Our take: Consumers want to be able to compare healthcare costs, but it’s still unclear how forceful the federal government is going to be in mandating true transparency—and if consumers truly grasp the publicly posted prices for medical services. We expect hospitals will continue to push back on any new regulations, while insurers will keep information on negotiated rates behind closed doors, thus perpetuating price disparities and not arming consumers with actionable insights that will lower their healthcare costs.

The news: The first glucose monitor for weight loss was cleared by the FDA this week. The newly approved Signos system uses an AI platform along with Stelo, Dexcom’s over-the-counter continuous glucose monitor (CGM), for real-time tracking and recommendations. Our take: We expect more glucose tracker options for GLP-1 users to be cleared by the FDA as CGMs move into the mainstream. CGM device makers and AI-assisted apps need to stress the importance of healthcare provider guidance and stick to science-based education and marketing.

The news: Insurance premiums are set to rise by 15% next year for the people who buy through the Affordable Care Act, per a new KFF analysis. Our take: While the Trump administration is eliminating the ACA tax credits, states where the president won the election account for 88% of ACA enrollment growth since 2020, per KFF research in April. When premium increases roll out across the ACA marketplace, and spillover into higher costs for hospitals and healthcare services, we expect plenty of political finger-pointing over fault, but little agreement on ways to improve US healthcare and keep consumers out of medical debt.

The news: Roche is considering a direct-to-patient (D2C) sales channel for its prescription drugs, CEO Thomas Schinecker said in its Q2 earnings call. Our take: The complex US healthcare PBM and insurance system can’t easily flip to a pure-play D2C prescription sales market. However, we think it will become a reliable channel, especially for self-pay patients. Pharma marketers can court them with special pricing deals, a la Lilly and Novo, but ensure they stay on the right side of regulators.