Wolters Kluwer Future Ready Healthcare Survey Report reveals significant opportunity for healthcare GenAI—if health systems can overcome the readiness gap

Key findings:

• Nurse staffing and workforce concerns are at the top of the priority list for health GenAI applications: 85% of respondents cited “recruiting/retaining nursing staff” as a top priority, while 76% identified “reducing clinician burnout” as a main concern.
• Leaders are focusing on the basics to keep the enterprise running: GenAI-driven technologies are likely to be part of the solution for longstanding challenges, such as addressing the burdens of prior authorizations (67%), electronic health record (EHR) management (62%), cybersecurity preparedness (68%), and supporting telehealth/virtual care programs (65%).
• But clinical staff expect more from the GenAI revolution: In qualitative responses, participants said they understand and acknowledge the need for workflow optimization but also want to see innovative capabilities such as ambient listening, clinical decision support leveraging GenAI, and assistance with communication and documentation utilizing GenAI.
• Formal GenAI policies and guidance are scarce: Only 18% of respondents were aware of formal organizational policies governing GenAI use, and only 1 in 5 reported being required to take structured training.
• As a result, concerns about appropriate implementation persist: More than half (57%) believe that overreliance on GenAI may erode clinical decision-making skills, while 55% are concerned that lack of transparency around GenAI’s potential role in making diagnoses could contribute to unclear reasoning behind patient-facing decisions.