Indian hospitals will increase their spending on IT innovation by 20‑25% over the next two to three years to stay abreast of technological advances, according to a recent survey.
Driving Factors Behind the Shift
First, hospitals aim to improve patient experience. Then, they want to enhance clinical outcomes through technology interventions. Finally, they seek to enable data‑driven decision‑making. These three priorities emerged as the top areas of investment for healthcare service providers.
Key Challenges to Digital Transformation
Despite growing enthusiasm, hospitals face several obstacles. Nearly 60% of them identified workforce capability building and IT upskilling as their biggest hurdle. Furthermore, data integration, adoption of business intelligence tools, and cybersecurity also pose significant pressure points.
Where Investments Will Focus
The survey revealed that hospitals will increasingly invest in artificial intelligence (AI). Over 70% of respondents ranked AI‑driven documentation and data analysis as top priorities. Meanwhile, 64% emphasised investment in decision support systems, and 60% in imaging.
Role of Government‑led Frameworks & Strategic Models
As per The Economic Times, the report also discusses the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), finding that while about half of hospitals have partially adopted the framework, 40% are still planning. This slow uptake underscores the challenge of aligning government initiatives with provider readiness.
Additionally, the survey recommends that hospitals follow a phased transition toward “smart hospitals” guided by EY’s 5S framework: scalable infrastructure, seamless patient engagement, strategic data usage, strengthened security, and sustainable operations.