Digital and AI Strategies Emerge as Central to Expanding Health System Capacity, Survey Finds

Key Takeaways: 

• Health system leaders increasingly view AI and digital health as essential to expanding capacity without adding buildings or clinical staff.
  
• Surveyed executives highlight persistent system pressures, including unaffordable care, limited access to primary care, and insufficient management of people’s health and wellbeing.
  
• Most leaders believe that fundamental operational change, underpinned by AI and digital tools, will be necessary to create sustainable, proactive models of care.
  

Introduction

A new report from the healthcare advisory firm Chartis suggests that digital health and artificial intelligence are now central pillars in health system leaders’ strategies to expand capacity, improve access, and operate more sustainably. The findings come from the firm’s fifth annual digital transformation survey, conducted in September 2025, which examined the perspectives of 150 health system executives on their progress and priorities in digital transformation.

Persistent pressures on healthcare delivery

The survey underscores the mounting pressures facing health systems today. Executives identified several entrenched challenges that continue to shape healthcare delivery:

• Unaffordable care was cited by 61 per cent of respondents as a major concern.
  
• Insufficient management of people’s long-term health and wellness was highlighted by 52 per cent.
  
• Limited timely access to primary care was reported by 49 per cent of leaders.
  

More than half of surveyed leaders believe that the sustainability of current care delivery models will decline further over the coming five years.

A shift from reactive to proactive care

In response to these pressures, there is widespread agreement that health systems must undergo fundamental change. According to the survey, nine in ten executives feel that organisations need to move away from reactive care and adopt more proactive, anticipatory models.

AI and digital health solutions are now widely considered critical to achieving this shift. The report notes that 90 per cent of leaders are already prioritising investments in digital and AI capabilities to support operational transformation.

AI and digital tools to expand capacity

Executives emphasised the importance of AI and digital health in increasing capacity while avoiding costly infrastructure or workforce expansion. Over the next five years, leaders expect these capabilities to be essential for serving more people without increasing physical space or clinical headcount.

Key priorities include:

• Freeing clinicians’ time for direct care through the use of AI (reported as very important by 52 per cent).
  
• Maximising access to clinical expertise using digital tools (51 per cent).
  
• Developing digitally enabled referral channels (45 per cent).
  
• Building hospital-at-home models as an alternative to inpatient care (36 per cent).
  
  
  
  

Expanding reach and access to care

Leaders also highlighted a strong need to extend the reach of healthcare services. More than half (53 per cent) stated that expanding delivery through initiatives such as care-at-home or mobile clinics is very important to improving access.

Several digital approaches were identified as particularly valuable for enhancing timely and convenient access:

• AI coaches to answer people’s questions (44 per cent).
  
• Connected devices and remote diagnostics to gather real-time health data (43 per cent).
  
• AI-enabled risk prediction to identify emerging health issues (43 per cent).
  
  
  
  

Supporting personalised patient journeys

Personalisation is another priority area, with leaders recognising the potential of digital platforms and AI to tailor the patient journey. The survey found:

• 52 per cent view offering multiple digital communication channels as very important for personalising the experience.
  
• 48 per cent believe that enhanced data collection and AI-supported analytics will be key to developing personalised care plans.
  
  
  
  

Call to action from Chartis

Tom Kiesau, co-author of the report and chief AI and digital officer at Chartis, emphasised the urgency of acting on these insights. He stated in the press release:
“Organisations need to capitalise on the momentum in this moment – and ensure that they are truly realising the potential presented by AI and digital capabilities to drive needed business transformation at scale.”