What better way to kick off HLTH week than with a new survey from the Peterson Health Technology Institute showing that healthcare decision-makers are still hungry for new solutions?
PHTI’s 2025 State of Digital Health Purchasing Survey showed that health plans, employers, and health systems are all investing heavily in digital health, but spending patterns are starting to diverge.
- The headlining stat: 61% of health plans and 44% of health systems plan on increasing digital health spending in the coming year, compared to just 14% of employers.
Employer spending has leveled off. Two-thirds of employers plan to hold spending steady as they maintain their current suite of solutions.
- In contrast, health plans and health systems are ramping up to offer a wider variety of solutions (81%) and keep up with patient engagement (77%).
- The top priorities across the board? Improve access, reduce costs, and strengthen user experiences, especially in areas like diabetes, mental health, and primary care.
Purchasers are more hawk-eyed than ever… especially when it comes to their contracts. Nearly half of purchasers are already using performance-based contracts, and the majority plan to use them in the next year.
- 73% of contracts now have a duration under two years – up from 59% last year – leaving a short window for solutions to prove their value.
- Short-term contracts, annual portfolio reviews, and a laser focus on engagement and ROI are the new normal. Building long-term relationships hinges on demonstrating both.
Vetting isn’t getting any easier. When comparing vendors, employers (66%) are more likely than health plans (23%) and health systems (42%) to cite cost as the deciding factor.
- Payors and providers both prioritize a proven track record above cost, but the report points to other ways to gain an edge.
- Although performance-based contracts are gaining traction, few purchasers are satisfied with their current models, and they’re looking for vendors that can offer either better outcome thresholds or attribution methods.
The Takeaway
Health plans, employers, and health systems all still have an appetite for new solutions, and PHTI just gave vendors a way to stack their decks with more data on each of their unique priorities.
