The 2026 Health System Technology Agenda: 5 Key Findings for Industry Executives
The 2026 Health System Technology Agenda: 5 Key Findings for Industry Executives Selling into Health Systems
Every year, senior technology leaders at leading U.S. health systems tell us what's driving their investment decisions as well as what's getting in the way. Our latest research in the 2026 Technology Investment Survey captures their answers across five critical areas industry executives need to know now: governance and purchasing authority, budget outlook, AI adoption, departmental satisfaction, and the industry partner landscape.
The result is one of the most direct windows available into how health systems are buying technology in 2026, including which executives hold sign-off authority, how budgets vary by system size, where AI investment is actually going, which departments have unmet needs, and what technology leaders wish their vendors did differently.
If your organization sells into health systems, these findings belong in your strategy and in your team’s inbox.
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Key Takeaways from the Survey for Industry Executives
The CIO isn't always the decision-maker, and the room is getting smaller. Four technology categories answer to a different executive entirely, and across the board, purchasing authority is consolidating at the top.
Budget growth is real, but it looks different depending on the system. 71% of technology leaders expect increases in 2026 but that number swings dramatically based on health system size.
A growing budget doesn't mean an AI budget. In most categories, budget growth and planned AI investment are further apart than you might expect.
Several high-priority categories have significant unmet need. The departments with the lowest satisfaction scores represent real opportunity as well as real skepticism from leaders who have invested before without seeing results.
Health systems want better partners, not just better products. When asked what they wish vendors did differently, you might be surprised to learn that not one of the top five answers was about product features.
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About The Health Management Academy
Since 1998, The Health Management Academy has cultivated the premier membership-based community of healthcare’s most influential CXOs from top U.S. health systems, as well as decision makers from innovative industry companies.
We cultivate exceptional peer groups, providing original market insights, world-class leadership development programs, and novel member alliances to more than 2,000 health system senior executives and 200 industry organizations.
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