Tag: survey

Epic Dominates, But Don’t Discount Competitors

Posted on by Jack Troy

Epic’s empire has reached, well, epic proportions. The software goliath’s grip on health systems gets tighter by the day, but a new report from startup studio Redesign Health doesn’t count out David just yet. Pencils up, founders. 

Redesign Health talked to the big wigs. Here’s a quick look at the survey group. 

  • A total of 112 execs at U.S. health systems served by Epic gave their thoughts. 
  • Two-thirds get final say on clinical and administrative purchasing, and the rest hold at least some official sway in these decisions. 

Most seemed pretty content with Epic. The platform has a quality edge to some, though its sheer size looks to be influencing things. Blink twice and we’ll call Oracle.

  • A huge majority (71%) described their system as “Epic-first.”
  • 80% expect prioritization of Epic going forward vs. 6% for external solutions. 
  • Epic is winning because of easy integration (50%), superior capabilities (48%), being “good enough” vs. alternatives (48%), and cost effectiveness (47%).

There’s room for competition. Execs placed the likelihood of another vendor matching Epic in various arenas on a one-to-five scale, and were generally open to outsiders. 

  • The greatest opportunities lie in imaging (3.52), quality tracking (3.51), and discharge and transfers (3.51).
  • Epic is most entrenched when it comes to patient flow (3.16), interoperability and integration (3.21), and non-imaging clinical decision support (3.22). 

But if you come at the king, you best make sure your product rocks. To ditch Epic, decision-makers must be confident they’ll get major results, and fast. 

  • Nearly half (49%) said external vendors must show significantly higher ROI and/or better outcomes, while just 18% grade Epic and its competitors on the same scale. 
  • It tracks that 63% ranked easy integration as important, with faster time to value close behind at 59%.

The Takeaway

Redesign Health’s report on Epic could serve as a roadmap for other companies to score some victories in the battle for market share. Those looking for one simple trick that Epic doesn’t want you to know will be disappointed, though. The broad strokes lesson is to make a product so good it’s irresistible. 

2026 Healthcare Forecast Cloudy, But AI Rays Could Poke Through

Posted on by Jack Troy

Venrock’s 10th annual survey of healthcare insiders reveals they’re a pessimistic bunch lately, harboring cynicism about recent policy developments and the future of health tech IPOs, though views on AI were more of a mixed bag. Let’s break down the results. 

But first, a bit about the survey. More than 200 leaders from all corners of healthcare shared their thoughts with Venrock. Some areas were better represented than others.

  • Respondents skewed toward the private sector (28%), investing (20%), life sciences or pharma (16%), professional services (8%), and academia (7%). 

Venrock loaded up the questionnaire with AI inquiries. Big picture: Insiders are becoming more comfortable with the tech, but remain mindful of its downsides. 

  • Trust in AI grew for 73% and fell for 2% (unclear who hurt them). 
  • Just 9% view AI as the most overrated trend in healthcare.
  • HIPAA breaches (24%), harmful hallucinations (19%), and overspending on healthcare-specific platforms (28%) ranked highest among possible AI pitfalls. 
  • Most expect AI to create an costly arms race between payers and providers (63%) as each side rolls out bots specifically designed to argue with other bots.

Here’s another fun one: M&A targets. There’s no consensus on who will get snapped up next, but the industry seems confident it will be a big name in AI-powered services. 

  • OpenEvidence (21%), Komodo Health (18%), Abridge (14%), and Sword Health (11%) were the top answers out of 10 companies, but only after none of the above (46%).

So the hottest firms are going public? Nope — that’s one thing people can agree on. 

  • Only 3% think health tech IPOs will be back in style this year, with the rest split roughly down the middle between 2027 and 2028 or beyond. 
  • For those keeping score, 42% of last year’s respondents predicted a health tech firm would go public in the first half of 2026. Tumbleweeds…

In fairness, it’s hard to predict the future, especially with $1.15T in Medicaid cuts looming over everyone’s heads. 

  • Will they harm rural hospitals? Empty state coffers? Ruin MCOs? Strain blue-state safety net hospitals? Most checked all of the above (65%). 

The Takeaway

Some of the smartest folks in healthcare think we’re heading toward a world of payer-provider bot wars, sluggish health tech IPOs, and brutal fallout from Medicaid cuts. Here’s to hoping Venrock’s survey missed the mark. 

Mental Healthcare Demand Pressures Psychologists

Posted on by Jason Barry

Following a pandemic-driven surge in demand for mental healthcare, a new American Psychological Association survey is indicating an even greater demand increase in 2021, with psychologists reporting heavier workloads, longer waitlists, and low capacity for new patients.

The APA surveyed 1,141 doctoral-level active psychologists in the US between August 30 and September 17, providing insights into the evolving mental health landscape in 2021.

Psychologist capacity highlights:

  • 43% reported an increase in overall number of patients (up from 29% last year)
  • 65% reported no capacity for new patients due to current caseload
  • 46% reported feeling burned out (up from 41% last year)

Psychologist telehealth adoption:

  • 96% reported treating patients remotely (slight decrease from 97% last year)
  • 50% reported hybrid in-person / remote treatment (up from 33% hybrid last year)
  • 46% reported seeing all patients remotely (down 64% all remote last year)

Changes in treatment areas:

  • 82% reported an increase in demand for anxiety disorder (up from 72% last year)
  • 70% reported an increase in demand for depression(up from 58% last year)
  • 2021 demand increases for: trauma (58%), substances (27%), sleep (38%)

The Takeaway

More psychologists reported increased demand across all treatment areas than before the pandemic, a trend that has accelerated since last year. While nearly all psychologists are providing remote services to meet rising patient volumes, a growing number of them are still reporting no capacity for new appointments, highlighting a continued need for digital health solutions that address the supply and demand imbalance for the specialty.

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