10 Healthcare Technology Trends to Watch in 2025
As healthcare organizations grapple with staff shortages and rising patient loads, the industry is rapidly evolving. Innovation, sustainability, and patient-centric care are at the forefront of this transformation. Here are 10 key healthcare technology trends expected to make a significant impact in 2025:
- Generative AI: A Time-Saving Virtual Assistant
Healthcare leaders are increasingly turning to automation to alleviate the burden on staff. According to the 2024 Philips Future Health Index, a staggering 92% of healthcare leaders view automation as critical for addressing staff shortages and reducing repetitive tasks. The same percentage believes automation will save professionals time on administrative work, allowing them to focus on patients. Generative AI is emerging as a powerful tool, with 85% of global healthcare leaders already investing or planning to invest in it within the next three years. AI can already function as a virtual assistant by organizing clinical notes and simplifying communication across teams. In cancer care, generative AI could revolutionize the process of reviewing patient history by summarizing insights from historical reports. It could also speed up reporting and translate complex medical information into common terms, helping to engage patients more in their own care.
- Simplifying Complex Diagnostics with AI
AI isn’t just about automating tasks; it’s also about enhancing the skills of healthcare professionals. With experienced staff in short supply, AI helps simplify complex diagnostics, allowing less experienced professionals to provide high-quality care. Advances in AI have made cardiac CT easier to use, extending its reach to more facilities and improving care. Less experienced technicians can use AI to get remote consultations and expert training for virtual support and reassurance. Integrating AI into cancer treatments can also enhance patient care by addressing the increased risk of heart disease associated with therapies such as radiation and chemotherapy. The latest AI technologies can quickly detect early signs of cardiotoxicity.
- A Silent Revolution in Surgery
Minimally invasive procedures are becoming the standard for many treatments, especially in cardiovascular care. These procedures offer patients faster recovery, less pain, and fewer complications. As technology advances, integration of systems, software, and devices has become crucial. The latest innovations in image-guided therapy offer opportunities to expand access to life-saving stroke care. Globally, less than 5% of the population has access to mechanical thrombectomy, a minimally invasive treatment for strokes. Expanding access by increasing the number of stroke-ready hospitals and training healthcare professionals in the latest interventional techniques is a key goal.
- Seeing the Full Patient Picture in Critical Care
In critical care settings, time is of the essence. An open ecosystem for patient monitoring allows data to flow freely across healthcare technology from different vendors. This creates a unified patient view accessible anywhere in the hospital. In 2025, expect advances in patient monitoring based on this open ecosystem approach. Interoperability in critical care is helping healthcare organizations improve clinical efficiency and data accuracy, freeing up staff to focus on patient-centered care. By breaking down data silos, we will see more development of algorithms that can help care providers predict and prevent adverse patient events. AI will offer increasingly personalized recommendations by comparing the full patient picture with thousands of similar cases.
- The Home is the New Hospital Room
Managing health outside the hospital is a rising trend. Hospital-at-home programs are growing, enabling patients to receive high standards of care in their own homes. Remote patient monitoring (RPM) plays a critical role by providing healthcare professionals with real-time data. It has proven effective in reducing hospital readmissions for conditions like congestive heart failure and is used in post-operative monitoring. Hospitals can free up beds, and patients benefit from improved experiences at home. Our 2024 Future Health Index report shows that remote patient monitoring is the biggest area of planned AI implementation over the next three years, with 41% of healthcare leaders intending to invest in it. This will improve quality of life for patients.
- Telehealth Reaches Patients Where They Are
The use of virtual care soared during the COVID-19 pandemic, and telehealth is expanding access, equity, and affordability of patient care. Telehealth increases the potential for healthcare to reach more people, no matter where they’re located. It can also reduce the need for specialist visits, as primary care physicians can resolve 40% of issues with the help of telehealth-based specialists. Similarly, digitalization, informatics, and AI are improving the quality and accessibility of obstetric care in low-income countries and underserved communities.
- Data and Digital Health are Driving Tech-Savvy Parenting
Modern parenting is digital, with smart devices and apps incorporated into childcare routines. Parents now have unprecedented access to data that can help them make informed decisions and receive reassurance about their child’s overall health and well-being. In fact, there’s growing interest in AI-enabled technologies that not only provide monitoring capabilities but also deliver predictive insights about a child’s behavioral patterns. Our research has shown that 80% of parents in the US and 79% of parents in Europe are open to using wearables and smart technologies. Households are connected through smart home systems, allowing parents to access device features such as video and audio feeds on their phones or computers. It’s clear that digital health tools are transforming modern parenting. And while these smart technologies aren’t a replacement for active, hands-on caregiving, these devices can offer actionable information, while also giving parents peace of mind.
- Innovating for Sustainability with Sustainable AI
AI has immense potential to transform healthcare and improve sustainability. Healthcare accounts for 4.4% of global CO2 emissions, and AI could help reduce waste and improve facility management. AI can also help increase imaging speed, translating into lower power consumption. But along with widespread adoption comes the potential for significant environmental impact. Digital solutions need significant energy and materials to generate, process, and store data, along with water to cool data centers. The energy consumption of AI is increasing rapidly, and the power usage of data centers could triple within four years. E-waste is another major issue to consider. As we digitalize healthcare, companies recognize that managing and minimizing the energy, material, and water needs for AI will be essential to minimizing its impact.
- Collaboration to Reduce Supply Chain Emissions
The vast majority of healthcare’s carbon footprint comes from supply chains. Healthcare organizations are increasingly recognizing the importance of addressing supply chain emissions. They are teaming up with partners throughout their value chains to drive change. According to the 2024 Future Health Index report, over the next three years, 41% of healthcare leaders plan to choose suppliers with sustainable targets, and an equal percentage plan to implement sustainable procurement strategies, including circular equipment. Philips is working directly with its suppliers to help them meet environmental standards and adopt sustainable practices. Both refurbished consumer products and refurbished medical devices offer sustainable alternatives without compromising performance. By embracing collaborative efforts, healthcare organizations can significantly reduce their environmental impact.
- Building Resilient Healthcare Systems with Technology to Adapt to Climate Change
Climate change is impacting health, and healthcare systems must enhance their preparedness. Healthcare technology will play a crucial role in ensuring that the healthcare industry is equipped to handle these growing challenges. This includes transitioning healthcare facilities to renewable energy sources, implementing sustainable practices, training healthcare providers, and deploying early warning systems. By embracing such initiatives, the healthcare industry can better adapt to the impacts of climate change and ensure a healthier future for all.
