Look for AI, 5G and big data analytics to lead all other emerging technologies in reshaping U.S. healthcare over the next several years.

That’s the collective view of more than 200 chiefs of clinical and clinical IT operations at large and medium-size provider institutions. The field was surveyed by market researcher IDC for sponsor Redox, which mainly sought to supply tech vendors with insights into hospitals’ plans and priorities around technology purchasing.

The anticipation of big things to come from the leading three technologies reflects a key “macro” finding of the research: The cohort places enterprise-wide digital transformation at or near the very top of tech-centric objectives for the near and long-term future. Importantly, most respondents consider this big-picture aim distinct from the micro digitization of traditional care delivery.

More highlights:

• Lagging behind digital transformation—named by 53% of the field—were cost reduction (35%), improving care quality (31%), improving patient safety (31%) and using data as a strategic asset (30%). In the middle of the pack were increasing staff retention, meeting regulatory compliance criteria and improving access to care, all at 25%. Lower down the list: expanding care-anywhere initiatives, delivering price transparency, improving health equity, seven others.
• 88% expect to increase spending on third-party technologies, not including EHR investments. This is so even though 40% already feel challenged to keep up with middleware and infrastructure demands.
• 85% expect increased organization-wide spending on technologies (e.g., IT operations and system infrastructure) and health IT solutions this year and next. Asked to name the top three areas this spending will likely go toward, the leaders came back with telemedicine/remote patient monitoring (41%), cloud computing (33%), AI for clinical applications (28%) and IT operations (28%).

The authors’ top three tips for healthcare tech vendors:

1. Tie your solutions to the pursuit of digital transformation, showing how their innovative functionality elevates patient outcomes.
2. Focus on championing cost containment, explaining how your technologies and solutions contribute to operational efficiency and patient-centered care.
3. Emphasize how your solutions put data to strategic use, empowering evidence-based decision-making and orchestrating personalized care.

And their advice for healthcare providers:

1. Trust the third-party advantage by investing in reliable, cost-effective third-party technologies where vendors demonstrate expertise, timely deployment and data reliability.
2. Act on the rise of automation, AI and mobility to optimize clinical operations, elevate patient experience, and infuse next-generational capabilities like streamlined documentation, self-guided screening and app-based patient engagement.
3. Embrace emerging tech frontiers by staying ahead of the curve and exploring 5G, AI, and machine learning to realize a competitive edge in the dynamic healthcare industry.

There’s quite a lot more. Read the whole thing.