New Survey Reveals Healthcare Organizations Prioritize Efficiency and Patient Care in AI Adoption
- Jonathan H. Westover, PhD
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
Data privacy and cost remain top challenges as most large healthcare providers prepare for AI investments in 2026.
Los Angeles — Quickblox, a leader in virtual consultation and chatbot solutions, surveyed 101 healthcare organizations and found rising AI adoption to drive efficiency and patient care despite concerns over cost, security, and integration.
The survey found that operational efficiency (81.2%), cost reduction (65.3%), and improving patient care (63.4%) are the top drivers for adopting AI tools. Among respondents:
Hospitals made up the largest group (32.7%)
Clinics (21.8%) and healthtech startups (16.8%) followed
The majority (over 50%) represented organizations with more than 500 employees
“AI is quickly becoming part of the healthcare toolkit,” said Nate MacLeitch, CEO of Quickblox. “It’s reshaping how care is delivered, how decisions are made, and how resources are managed across the entire system.”
Respondents identified the areas where AI is expected to have the most significant impact:
Operational efficiency – 68.3%
Administrative tasks – 62.4%
Predictive analytics – 48.5%
Patient diagnosis – 36.6%
Patient triage/onboarding – 33.7%
Patient engagement – 30.7%
The results suggest that healthcare organizations are prioritizing AI for back-end efficiency and administrative relief before fully scaling clinical applications. Healthcare organizations assess AI tools through pilot programs (73.3%), research and reviews (57.4%), and peer recommendations (51.5%).
However, as organizations move from pilots to broader use, implementation challenges become more pronounced.
Nearly half of respondents (45%) cited data privacy and security as their top concern, reflecting the high stakes of managing patient data under strict regulation. Integration and cost followed as key barriers, while vendor reliability ranked lowest, signaling growing trust in providers and greater focus on internal readiness.
When asked about confidence in managing data privacy:
32.7% said they are somewhat confident
28.7% are neutral
26.7% are very confident
Only 1% reported being very concerned
Despite these challenges, organizations continue to see clear benefits from AI adoption. Improved patient outcomes (61.4%) and increased efficiency (86.1%) were the primary measures of AI success.
Looking ahead, 61.4% of organizations are likely or very likely to invest in AI within the next 12 months, while 9.9% have already invested.
The top AI solutions of interest include:
Workflow automation tools – 74.3%
Patient engagement platforms – 47.5%
Virtual assistants – 47.5%
Diagnostic support tools – 46.5%
Predictive analytics – 45.5%
To enable successful AI adoption, respondents ranked their top resource needs as:
Financial investment
Technical support
Staff training programs
Collaboration with vendors
Research and development
Together, the findings show AI firmly taking root in healthcare, with efficiency leading adoption and patient-centered innovation close behind, while the industry prepares for its deeper clinical impact.
About the Survey: Quickblox conducted the “2025 Healthcare AI Adoption Survey” between August and October 2025, gathering responses from 101 leaders representing hospitals, clinics, healthtech startups, and research institutions. The survey explored adoption drivers, concerns, confidence levels, and investment trends in AI within healthcare organizations.
About Quickblox: QuickBlox is a cloud-based AI platform that enables businesses to create custom communication apps with ease and unite their user base across multiple platforms.
