AWS Marketplace
Enabling digital transformation to advance healthcare
Healthcare organizations (HCOs) face mounting challenges and opportunities that are reshaping the industry. From 2024’s largest cybersecurity attack on Change Healthcare to widespread provider-insurer disruptions affecting healthcare access, transformation pressure is significant. Emerging technologies, particularly generative artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing, offer pathways to revolutionize patient care while improving operational efficiency and security frameworks.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) and third-party solutions from AWS Marketplace equip HCOs with tools that enhance data security, accelerate AI adoption, streamline workflows, and improve patient outcomes.
I recently moderated a panel discussion on Enabling digital transformation to advance healthcare, exploring how organizations navigate uncertainty while embracing new technologies. Our conversation centered on research from Forrester’s latest survey of 441 United States healthcare provider organizations, examining cloud infrastructure strategies, generative AI adoption, and security and compliance.
The panel included industry experts with deep healthcare technology experience:
- Shannon Germain Farraher, Senior Analyst, Forrester
- Demetri Giannikopoulos, Chief Transformation Officer, Aidoc
- Dr. Dan Rafter, Senior Vice President Partner and Product Strategy, Flywheel
- Wilson To, Vice President of Strategy, Philips
In this post, I highlight the key insights from our discussion about healthcare’s digital transformation journey.
Forrester research reveals key findings
Forrester’s research identified four critical areas where HCOs focus their digital transformation efforts.
First finding: Security takes center stage. 92 percent of respondents identify improving enterprise security and reducing risk as their top priority. “Healthcare is the most vulnerable industry as called out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in 2023,” Farraher explained. “For hackers, it’s low hanging fruit because there are so many unprotected entry points.”
Second finding: Data and analytics support AI initiatives. Adopting enhanced data and analytics enables AI initiatives, though 44 percent cite security concerns as their top infrastructure challenge. As one respondent emphasized, “If you don’t have good data infrastructure, then any fancy generative AI tool on top is not good.”
Third finding: Workforce experience drives investment decisions. 90 percent of organizations plan to invest 10 percent or more in their technology infrastructure this year. . According to Forrester, 83 percent expect improved revenue, while 79 percent anticipate improved workforce experience and engagement.
Fourth finding: Generative AI adoption shows realistic patterns. 20 percent of organizations operate at the scaling or enterprise stage with generative AI but expect this to reach 90 percent within three years. Top use cases include workflow optimization (56 percent) and data integration, analytics, and personalized care treatments (approximately 50 percent each).
Critical differentiators accelerating healthcare transformation
Unlike previous healthcare innovation cycles, converging factors create new opportunities for change. The regulatory landscape evolved to enable technological advancement, with Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) now mentioned numerous times in recent legal updates. The pandemic demonstrated healthcare’s capacity to innovate rapidly when facing threats.
“What the industry saw during the pandemic was the opportunity to innovate its way out of different crises,” To observed. This created cultural shifts toward embracing scalable technologies and faster implementation cycles.
Most importantly, there is organic demand for organizational integration of generative AI. “Generative AI is in people’s hands every single day with such ease,” Farraher noted. “There’s enthusiasm, it’s becoming mainstream.” This “Bring Your Own AI” phenomenon contrasts with previous technology implementations like electronic health records that required extensive training.
Strategic AI implementation approaches
HCOs adopt approaches balancing enthusiasm with realistic timelines and safety requirements. To discussed how organizations focus on automation, augmentation, and agility when implementing AI to enhance clinical capabilities, eliminate invisible work, and enable deeper insights. “There’s so many minutes that can be saved… where customers want to see how we can deploy technology on behalf of their clinicians,” To explained.
The emphasis remains on enhancing rather than replacing human capabilities. Giannikopoulos emphasized strategic starting points for success. “Finding those initial use cases to explore, looking at the learnings of others, not trying to do this alone and developing the full holistic process… is ultimately really important,” To said.
Organizations must recognize that AI implementation involves change management and cultural adaptation beyond technology deployment. The goal involves creating governance guidelines that channel enthusiasm toward secure solutions.
Overcoming data and infrastructure barriers
Data standardization represents a major obstacle to AI implementation. Organizations often spend 85 percent of their time finding, de-identifying, and centralizing data before analysis begins. “It’s a hundred percent a very manual process without the right tools in place,” Dr. Rafter noted.
The industry shifts from departmental to enterprise-wide solutions enabling comprehensive data integration. “There’s a substantial momentum for collaboration, breaking down silos, interoperability among systems and individuals,” Giannikopoulos observed. This enables precision medicine capabilities requiring seamless integration of genomic testing, medical imaging, and electronic medical records.
Cloud infrastructure adoption has reached a tipping point where migration is no longer optional. “It’s no longer a question of if we need to centralize data in a way that can be accessed outside of the four walls of the hospital — it has to happen,” Dr. Rafter emphasized.
Security and compliance strategies
HCOs embrace shared responsibility models that distribute security obligations between internal teams, cloud service providers, and solution vendors. “Security is job zero, privacy is job zero, patient safety is front and center for everything,” To emphasized.
Organizations benefit from leveraging established frameworks and certifications rather than building security capabilities from scratch. “Safety by design is integrated into all of our solutions,” Giannikopoulos explained. “Following those principles, aligning with International Organization for Standardization, SOC 2 Type II… gives you opportunity to have robust secure developments.”
Healthcare leaders must understand their security partnerships and vendor responsibilities to avoid knowledge gaps, making education, transparency, and documented agreements crucial for successful cloud adoption.
Key recommendations for navigating digital transformation
Forrester’s research revealed four strategic recommendations for HCOs navigating digital transformation. First, advocate for consistent AI regulation while adopting best practices through frameworks like the Coalition for Health Artificial Intelligence (CHAI) to test AI tools for fairness, safety, and effectiveness.
Second, capitalize on “Bring Your Own AI” enthusiasm rather than penalizing staff. More than 20 percent of clinicians already use AI in their work. “Leaders should begin to summon and channel staff interest in B-Y-O-A-I tools and then transition them into more sanctioned secure ones,” Farraher explained.
Third, lean on core organizational values during uncertainty. HCOs must continue focusing on mission alignment, recognition programs, and staff autonomy. “Do not pause initiatives like recognition. It seems like it should be the first thing to go, but it should be the last,” Farraher emphasized.
Fourth, find vendor partners who align with core values and demonstrate flexibility, cost efficiency, and minimal disruption. “Challenge your partners, push them to meet you where you’re at today,” Farraher advised. “Vet them to assess how they’re going to help you get to your next step tomorrow.”
Conclusion
Healthcare stands at a transformational inflection point where the question has shifted from whether to adopt AI and cloud technologies to how to implement them safely at scale. Forrester’s research and our expert panel reveal that successful transformation requires a balanced approach prioritizing security, workforce experience, and strategic partnerships. Patient safety remains the central organizing principle. “Behind every pixel, behind every bit and byte is a patient,” To reminded our audience.
The next few years will separate organizations that thrive from those that merely survive. The differentiator will be each organization’s ability to integrate advanced technologies while maintaining core missions focused on patient care. Organizations that embrace this transformation with the right partners, will deliver improved outcomes for patients while enhancing operational efficiency.
About AWS Marketplace
AWS Marketplace is a curated digital catalog with numerous healthcare solutions across multiple categories and regions. This makes it easy for you to find, buy, deploy, and manage solutions from AWS Partners. It offers quick, easy, and secure deployment, flexible consumption, contract models, and streamlined procurement and billing operations.
Over 300,000 organizations use AWS Marketplace monthly to accelerate digital transformation and improve efficiencies. Research from Forrester estimates it takes half the time to find, buy, and deploy solutions through AWS Marketplace compared to other channels.
Next steps
Explore Healthcare solutions and software in AWS Marketplace to discover solutions like those discussed by our panelists: Philips, Aidoc, and Flywheel.
Watch Enabling digital transformation to advance healthcare on-demand for additional insights.