Healthcare Technology Challenges: What Today’s IT Leaders Are Facing

Changes in healthcare information technology are coming fast and furious for HIT leaders. Through it all, organizations must keep pace with the evolution while innovating and modernizing their digital operations. From AI to automation to implementing electronic health records (EHR) systems, leaders face healthcare technology challenges but also opportunities. They discussed both at an exclusive Medix Technology dinner — “Bytes, Bites & Beyond: Tech Talk on the Terrace” — at HIMSS 2025 in Las Vegas. What got leaders talking? Here’s a recap of the discussion.

Artificial Intelligence = Real-Life Challenges

Artificial intelligence is leaving no industry untouched, and the healthcare tech leaders who joined us at HIMSS are challenged with bringing it into their operations with minimal disruption. But that’s not easy, they say. In Epic EHR, for example, AI is routinely integrated to perform natural language processing, predictive analytics, image analysis, administrative tasks, and to support clinical decisions. As AI adoption accelerates, the leaders find themselves focusing on three main areas:

• Funding: The financial commitment to AI extends far beyond the initial purchase or development. It’s an ongoing expense that requires constant resource demands associated with maintaining, optimizing, and improving AI models to ensure their continued effectiveness. Those costs can be substantial — and this comes at a time when many of the leaders are tasked with reducing costs. Leaders should carefully evaluate potential return on investment (ROI) of AI initiatives and prioritize projects that are most likely to deliver business value. Additionally, they may need to explore strategies for optimizing AI costs, such as leveraging open-source tools, cloud-based AI services, and collaborative partnerships.
• Skills Gaps: As healthcare organizations combine AI with systems such as Epic, their teams will need the right skills. That’s a significant concern that’s always on the minds of HIT leaders. Teams might need to learn new things or retrain or expand their talent roster to expand their skills in data science, systems, security, AI engineering, and clinical informatics analysis.
• Automating: AI excels at consolidating information and streamlining processes, which can lead to improved documentation and efficiency through the automation of tasks like note-taking and billing. This comes with a caveat, however. HIT leaders must be mindful of the risks of AI implementation, as they are the ones who will ultimately be held responsible for ensuring its safety, compliance, and ethical use. Establishing clear boundaries and guidelines for AI usage is crucial in addressing these concerns.

Managing Costs Amid Budgeting Pressures

HIT leaders were in agreement on one of the biggest healthcare technology challenges: reducing costs and adjusting budgets. Organizations must account for frequent updates and software changes for their healthcare technology platforms. While systems like EHR and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software improve operations and patient care, they can strain budgets and make it difficult to remain cost-efficient. Keeping tech up-to-date can lead to increased costs by requiring additional resources for training, testing, and implementation.

There’s no standing still in today’s HIT environment. New launches and capabilities arrive regularly, forcing organizations to adapt and adopt these changes. While these new features are opportunities for improvement, they require critical maintenance and support. This means leaders must prioritize — sometimes ruthlessly.

Staffing to Support New Technology Projects

Healthcare technology is a double-edged sword. It has capabilities to not only streamline healthcare processes but also foster meaningful patient engagement, paving the way for a truly personalized healthcare experience. But HIT leaders say the updates and changes to technology systems set off significant staffing challenges. Gone are the days of maintaining a staff of one size for long periods of time. The need for a more dynamic and adaptable approach to healthcare technology management has changed that, demanding employees with the skills to navigate complex, ever-changing systems. 

Leveraging a contingent workforce to execute on key projects has been critical to keep commitments while also managing costs with flexible contracts. As a result, prioritizing knowledge transfer from augmented staff enables them to train and develop their existing teams. 

Integrating New Epic Features and Managing Change

Epic’s EHR system offers limitless possibilities, but this flexibility can also be a drawback. When Epic implements changes, healthcare organizations must adjust their workflows accordingly, which can be challenging due to the risk of over-customization. To ensure successful adoption and user satisfaction, healthcare leaders emphasize the importance of grounding new features and automations in well-established processes. This approach prioritizes ease of use and effectiveness, ultimately streamlining healthcare operations and improving patient care.

One valuable insight we heard about effective change management was involving end users in the governance process: Ask them about the functions they like, the ones they don’t like, and which ones should not be incorporated. During all phases of implementation, clearly communicate the benefits of new features and conduct thorough testing to identify and address potential issues.

A feature healthcare leaders discussed was Epic Community Connect, a program that allows larger healthcare organizations to extend their Epic EHR system to smaller community practices and hospitals. It offers several benefits, including improved care coordination, reduced costs, and an enhanced patient experience. It also presents challenges for healthcare IT leaders, such as the need for additional support and training resources, as well as ensuring seamless integration and data exchange between different systems.

Healthcare organizations can maximize the benefits of new Epic features and improve the quality of patient care by prioritizing the user experience, fostering a culture of innovation, and implementing effective change management strategies.

Retaining Nurses and Physicians

Another big concern among the leaders was physician and nurse retention amid shortages in both professions. In addition to improving EHR features and functionality, end user support and ongoing training were seen as key strategies for retention. Unfortunately, the resources required to support these strategies are costly, and organizations struggle to justify adding and maintaining training and support personnel. 

Partner With Medix Technology to Overcome Today’s Challenges

With 20+ years as a staffing solutions partner for healthcare organizations, Medix Technology understands the healthcare technology challenges facing HIT leaders. To read more of our HIT staffing insights, visit our Resource Center.

Our team has a deep understanding of the healthcare industry and a nationwide network of skilled professionals experienced in implementing and managing healthcare technology solutions. We have earned dual KLAS ratings in ERP and EHR and offer flexible technology solutions designed to help your organization grow or scale. To start tackling your healthcare technology challenges and building your tech solution, contact us today.