The end of the year marks another trend piece – but this one is crowd-sourced. Xealth asked our customers what topics they think will dominate next year, and their top five predictions, as well as what our digital health partners are telling us, are below.
The top two predictions are a bit contradictory – on one hand, our customers clearly acknowledge that workforce shortages are going to force change and create a need for more tools, but on the other hand; they also see a clear need to streamline their digital health portfolio.
Next up were the predictions that virtual behavioral health adoption will grow, there will be a move towards more wearable devices as diagnostic tools, and there is optimism that health systems will figure out how to capture RPM dollars.
Top Trends Predicted for 2025:
- Workforce shortages hit a tipping point, forcing change: Patient volume has returned to pre-pandemic levels, but staffing levels have not experienced the same resurgence. Healthcare leaders will need to find ways to leverage technology to care for more patients with a smaller workforce. Nearly every health system cited this as a top driver for 2025.
- Digital health portfolios become streamlined: To reduce complexity and cost, health systems will streamline their digital health vendor portfolios, moving from specialized programs to integrated solutions. Platform approaches that require fewer vendors and IT resources win over point solutions.
- Virtual behavioral health adoption accelerates: By 2027, about 25% of the U.S. population are predicted to use behavioral health services. Driven by ongoing shortages of mental health professionals and the proven convenience of virtual approaches, these tools are filling gaps and delivering care to people who may otherwise not have timely access. We will see more digital resources rolled out to address stronger demand for behavioral health services.
- Wearable devices gain clinical credibility: As more wearable devices, including select smartwatches, receive FDA clearance and approval, their clinical utility will improve and will move beyond fitness tracking to become diagnostic tools, with a focus on early detection of various conditions through advanced sensors and AI analytics. No longer a fashion statement for people already engaged in their health, wearables are becoming more reliable trackers for cardiology and sleep concerns.
- Health systems will figure out RPM business models: Revenue pressures will compel health systems to collaborate across departments and with vendors to effectively capture RPM reimbursement opportunities, while consumer-targeted health apps will see their growth plateau, proving the doctor is still the trusted expert for care delivery.
Other trends for 2025 predicted by our customers include more partnerships between health systems and corporations to provide testing grounds and additional revenue for the health systems. Also, CMS has resumed its focus on quality metrics, which will create increased demand for improvement initiatives. AI enthusiasm will settle slightly as health systems separate fantasy and hype from realistic, responsible applications, including around clinical documentation, improving efficiency and enhancing data analytics capabilities.
As we welcome in 2025, customers also expect to see digital front door initiatives shift from broad patient engagement platforms to targeted transactional portals, opening opportunities for digital health companies and healthcare insurers to fill the engagement gap.
At Xealth, we look forward to collaborating with hospitals and health systems around these initiatives and assisting them by deploying more diverse digital health projects, programs, and applications to help meet our customers’ clinical and operational goals.