GenAI will free up to 10% clinicians’ time, save USD 100B

IDC predicts that by 2025, Generative AI (GenAI) will free up to 10% of clinicians’ time, translating into an estimated US$100 billion in annual healthcare saving in Asia/Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) to realize more workflow automation and efficiency. This is just one of IDC’s predictions unveiled in its latest report, IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Healthcare Industry 2024 Predictions – Asia/Pacific (Excluding Japan) Implications.

As the industry looks to master AI everywhere, GenAI is emerging as a transformative force in healthcare and is set to impact workforce efficiency and hyper-personalization in the care processes.

CIOs of the healthcare sector are exploring the use cases and the adoption model within their establishments, realizing the immense potential GenAI has in the future of healthcare.

Below are the other AI-driven predictions for the healthcare sector in the region:

• GenAI PX: By the end of 2027, driven by the demand to scale hyper-personalized patient experiences, improve collaboration, and foster equity, 60% of Asia/Pacific healthcare organizations will double GenAI investments.
• AI diagnostics: Driven by the need for improved diagnostic accuracy, speed, and workflow efficiency, care providers in Asia/Pacific will see a 60% increase in AI solution adoption by 2026.
• AI care anywhere: By 2027, 50% of the healthcare industry in Asia/Pacific will leverage GenAI to address data and workflow fragmentation across care settings to improve diagnosis and patient safety to scale care anywhere.

In addition to the overarching theme of AI, the IDC predictions cover several other themes including industry clouds, Hospital@Home (H@H), “payvider” financing, integrated platforms, and the future of hospitals.

Special attention has been given towards optimizing technology investments, with a particular emphasis on enhancing operational efficiency and elevating patient outcomes.

• Industry clouds: Driven by the perceived value of purpose-built functionalities for healthcare, 40% of healthcare organizations in Asia/Pacific will adopt industry clouds by 2025.
• Payvider financing: By 2026, 45% of Asia/Pacific private health insurance companies and 75% of U.S. health systems will be “payviders” to improve risk management and address the rising cost of care.
• H@H: By 2026, a doubling of hospital-at-home patients will propel a 55% growth in investments in tech-enabled integrated care initiatives to address patient safety, workforce, and care access concerns in Asia/Pacific.
• Techquity: By 2028, 60% of the healthcare industry in Asia/Pacific will prioritize tech partnerships that champion “techquity,” reducing the digital divide and recognizing social determinants of health as vital influencers.
• Integrated platforms: Personalized health data platforms will support 50% of covered patients in advanced economies by 2028 while building more accurate patient journey simulations for providers and life science companies in Asia/Pacific.
• Future of hospitals: By 2029, hospital investments in sustainability and modernization will increase by 50%, driven by the need to reduce costs, improve quality of care, and enhance organizational resiliency in Asia/Pacific.

“Equitable healthcare has always been a big headache for the healthcare sector, but the evolution of technology, such as AI, will provide viable means to reduce the gaps in digital healthcare,” says Louise Francis, Head of Public Sector Research, IDC Asia/Pacific. “The emergence of the concept of ‘techquity’ highlights how technology will provide the bridge to enabling equitable access to healthcare services over the next five years”, said Francis.

IDC’s healthcare industry predictions for APEJ provides guidance to healthcare leaders in prioritizing the key themes and use cases, enabling them for more defined engagement with tech providers.

Manoj Vallikkat, Senior Research Manager, Healthcare Insights, IDC Asia/Pacific, said, “The Asia/Pacific healthcare sector is at a seminal moment, defined by a patient-centric care model combined with an ‘AI Everywhere’ approach. With the advent of GenAI and the need for consumerization of care, the next five years are set to be the defining period for the healthcare sector, and we are currently at the starting point of this exciting journey.

“Healthcare providers in the region tend to prioritize investments on data management, AI, and automation, targeting decentralized care and patient outcome, supported by enhanced clinician efficiency. In the healthcare sector, the unique risks associated with AI are significant, which necessitates a greater focus on explainability and data security,” Vallikkat added.

Each year, IDC releases its top technology predictions at worldwide, regional and country levels through its IDC FutureScape Reports and gives a crystal ball view of what is ahead for the rapidly changing IT industry. These predictions have been used to shape the strategies and business objectives of technology leaders and business executives in the next 1-5 years. All the predictions stated here cover Asia/Pacific implications. Mediabrief