The healthcare system stands at an inflection point, navigating a landscape defined by rapid digital technologies advancement and escalating digital threats. As we look ahead to 2025, a profound transformation is underway, with artificial intelligence (AI) driving innovation across every sector, from enhancing population health, patient experience, and health outcomes to streamlining intricate care delivery and workflow operations. However, this exciting frontier of innovation comes hand-in-hand with an undeniable imperative: the urgent need for robust security measures to safeguard sensitive patient data from sophisticated cyberattacks.
The 2025 Alithya Healthcare Survey Report and Analysis, which gathered insights from national health organizations industry healthcare professionals, offers a crucial glimpse into how leaders are balancing the promise of AI with the realities of cost savings, financial constraints, the critical need for patient trust, and demand for secure health services and operations.
6 pressures shaping the healthcare system in 2025
Alithya’s latest healthcare system survey report gathered insights from national health organizations and industry professionals, revealing six key themes that highlight where leaders are focusing their efforts in 2025 to improve health outcomes and sustain public health.
- Cybersecurity back on top – 60% of respondents ranked it as their number one concern, driven by sophisticated ransomware attacks and tighter regulations.
- Cost control under pressure – Nearly 60% are pursuing aggressive cost-cutting, while 54% are diversifying revenue streams or reducing service lines.
- Patient-centricity as a constant – Strengthening communication and improving feedback resolution remain central, though data silos still limit progress.
- Pragmatic AI adoption – Only 21% cite AI as a top challenge for 2025, suggesting leaders see it as important but secondary to urgent security and compliance needs.
- AI governance gap – Just 32% have a comprehensive governance model, even as adoption accelerates.
- Technology adoption slowed by cost – More than half implement new digital technologies within a year, but 38% cite high cost and workforce shortage as the biggest barrier.
Continue reading as we explore each of the six focus areas in more detail. Download the complete 2025 healthcare report for additional insights not covered in this blog, including full data sets and detailed analysis for both healthcare payers and providers.
Cybersecurity: the undisputed top challenge for the healthcare system in 2025
Perhaps the most striking finding from the survey is the resurgence of cybersecurity threats as the leading challenge for healthcare organizations in 2025. Identified by a significant 60% of survey respondents, this marks an increase from its second-place ranking from Alithya’s 2024 healthcare survey report. This elevation underscores the growing intensity and sophistication of cyber threats targeting the highly vulnerable and data-rich healthcare system.
The mandate is clear: safeguarding patient data from cyberattacks is paramount and a well-resourced cybersecurity practice is essential to sustaining operations, ensuring compliance, and protecting both patient experience and health outcomes.
This heightened concern isn't isolated. It's inextricably linked to other significant pressures, including regulatory changes and compliance standards. These factors collectively place immense pressure on healthcare IT systems, demanding not only stronger data governance but also the implementation of comprehensive, proactive risk mitigation strategies. The report highlights that ransomware attacks, for instance, continue to disrupt clinical systems, sometimes even forcing a revert to outdated, paper-based processes, showcasing the tangible and often devastating impact of security breaches. As health systems move to a patient-centric digital front door, solid strategics will need to be adopted and consistently guarded to protect public health in the long term.
Financial stability: strategic growth in the healthcare system under cost pressures
Healthcare organizations remain acutely focused on their financial health. The top priority for ensuring financial stability, identified by 59% of respondents, is implementing cost-cutting measures for greater cost savings, followed by diversifying revenue streams or reducing service lines. The best way to implement cost-cutting measures is to take a deeper look at labor costs, which often exceed 50% of total operating expenses in healthcare organizations, according to the American Hospital Association. Smarter reporting and analytics can help uncover inefficiencies, align staffing with demand, and control costs while maintaining high-quality care and protecting the patient experience.
Beyond cost containment, strategic growth remains a key objective. Nearly 80% of respondents consider service line expansion or diversification as extremely important for improving patient care and outcomes. This reflects a proactive approach to responding to an increasingly competitive market, often driven by factors like hospital consolidation and increased visibility into healthcare costs. Integrated systems and advanced analytics, including effective Cost of Care solutions, are seen as essential enablers for achieving financial sustainability, stronger return on investment, and improved visibility into clinical and operational costs.
Data analytics: The foundation for better patient outcomes in the healthcare system
At the heart of healthcare's mission remains the patient. The survey reinforces this, showing that enhancing communication channels alongside care delivery and improving feedback and complaint resolution processes are top priorities for driving engagement and satisfaction. Patients today expect timely, personalized interactions across multiple touchpoints, from appointment scheduling and telehealth visits to follow-up care and billing inquiries.
Effective, data-driven healthcare planning and data analytics are essential not just for operational efficiency but for enhancing the patient experience and long-term outcomes. Statistics and volume-based forecasting allow organizations to anticipate patient needs, tailor care delivery, and allocate resources where they matter most. By leveraging these insights, healthcare providers can make informed decisions that improve care, elevate patient satisfaction, support public health, and optimize overall performance.
Artificial intelligence: the engine of transformation with evolving priorities in the healthcare system
While cybersecurity takes the top spot as a challenge, artificial intelligence remains undeniably central to the healthcare industry's long-term vision. AI is a vital driver for enhancing patient care, improving operational efficiency, enabling cost savings, and building patient trust. Its impact spans forecasting financial outcomes and exploring generative AI for diagnostics to improve health outcomes and the patient experience.
The survey shows a dichotomy: despite its recognized potential, AI initiatives rank lower than core functions like security and were cited by only 21% of respondents as a top challenge for 2025. This suggests that, for now, more short-run tactical considerations, such as cybersecurity and regulatory concerns, are currently taking precedence. The immediate defensive and reactive posture required to address abrupt changes from cyber threats and market trends appears to overshadow the strategic, longer-term implementation of digital technologies and AI.
Nevertheless, for organizations grappling with workforce shortage and high turnover, AI-enhanced technologies such as intelligent document processing and workflow automation are practical solutions to reduce staff burden, streamline operations, and improve workforce efficiency.
AI governance: closing the gap in the healthcare system
As AI adoption grows across healthcare, so do the complexities of using it responsibly. The report highlights concerns about inadvertent data disclosures and flawed results, creating a strong need for robust AI governance frameworks. These frameworks are essential to ensure AI tools are used ethically, safeguard patient trust, and comply with laws and regulations.
Despite leaders expressing confidence in AI governance, the survey reveals a gap. Only 32% of organizations have a fully implemented model, 68% are developing one, 18% rely on external controls, and 19% have no model or are unsure. This emphasizes the importance of turning confidence into action to manage the risks of widespread AI adoption.
Moderate pace of technology adoption with high-cost barriers
The survey shows that over half of healthcare organizations adopt new digital technologies at a moderate pace, typically within a year, while about a third move at a faster pace and a small portion report slower adoption. This "moderate pace" aligns with the common understanding that healthcare organizations have historically been slower to adopt technology compared to other industries, often due to high regulation.
When it comes to barriers, one concern significantly outranks others: high financial costs, identified by 38% of respondents. Other challenges include regulatory and compliance issues, workforce resistance due to a lack of new skills, and infrastructure limitations.
To ensure technology delivers value and return on investment, organizations should invest not only in the tools themselves but also in change management and digital adoption solutions. Supporting users in effectively integrating new technologies is crucial—without active user adoption, even the most advanced systems risk becoming wasted investments. In addition, thoughtful adoption with the mindset of the end user, ensures that additional effort is not put onto an already over-burdened workforce.
Healthcare system transformation: partner with a trusted advisor
The future of healthcare requires bold action. Rising costs, workforce shortage pressures, and cybersecurity threats demand innovation to improve patient outcomes, operational efficiency, and financial stability. AI technologies hold transformative potential, but success depends on governance, change management, and strategic adoption.
Partner with Alithya to turn these pressures into opportunities. We strengthen your digital foundation, unify data across divisions, and enable smarter, data-driven decisions. Together, we accelerate innovation and ensure technology delivers measurable impact for patients, workforce, public health, and long-term organizational return on investment.
Explore the full 2025 healthcare system survey insights
This article provides only a glimpse of the insights uncovered in our 2025 Healthcare Survey Report and Analysis. Discover the complete findings, including trends, investment priorities, and actionable strategies designed to help healthcare leaders improve outcomes and efficiency. Access the full report here: Download the complete 2025 healthcare report.