Health care leaders face difficult choices on where to prioritize efforts across the care delivery spectrum. Unit cost reduction at the hospital level as the single-largest profit center is no longer adequate to meet cost, quality, capacity, workforce wellness, and patient health objectives. Innovation in health care delivery and use of alternative delivery models has accelerated to address this gap.

Health care providers and payers must begin to build foundational capabilities to compete in this new digital world and not over-invest in legacy technology systems that don’t enable new care models. The 21st century technology organization must be agile, interoperable, and not laden with technical debt. The emerging care delivery ecosystem is an opportunity to convene, curate, and incubate new models that may include non-native health care companies playing critical roles, and health care players must embrace and prepare for these new relationships.

The ability to translate data from inside and outside the health care system into insights and actions will be the cornerstone of industry transformation. Leveraging data for the development of new products and services has the potential to unleash growth for many organizations.

Many health care organizations are investing in technology to drive the efficiency of administrative and operational teams (e.g., finance, HR, supply chain) and alleviate administrative burden. Applying advanced analytics, including artificial intelligence (AI), to solve operational problems can demonstrate quicker returns and present less risk, making it easier to put new solutions into full-scale production. Focusing on these use cases can help an organization build muscle and justify investments in foundational systems.

Across many industries, consumers have become accustomed to convenience and near-immediate responsiveness, demanding greater engagement and ability to curate their experiences. Health care is no exception. Providers are being met with more informed patients immersed in their care journey. Within this rapidly shifting landscape, leading organizations are harnessing digital tools to delight customers, reinvent their operations, and spark differentiated businesses.

The consumer empowerment transformation requires both a shift in mindset and the development of new competencies. Both legacy and new entrants should prepare for patient ownership of their own data. As consumers pursue their own wellness agendas, they will begin to demand ownership and control over their health information and in turn will give consent to those best positioned to satisfy their specific health needs.

Consumers are developing a greater proclivity toward sharing their health data to receive insights on their own wellness, although opinions vary. Beyond consumer interest, other forces will propel the wellness revolution such as unsustainable health care costs and employer demand if they feel these types of benefits make their employees more productive and if it helps with recruitment and retention. Look for a rise in health and wellness offerings as new entrants to the health care market capitalize on this “white space.”

Each area of investment within an organization’s transformation portfolio will benefit from applying a health equity lens. These considerations should not be treated as an add-on, but rather integrated into transformation programs and core business operations to deepen impact. Continuing to quantify the impact of health inequities is an important step to building coalitions and driving lasting change; cross-sector opportunities to collaborate and share learnings should be encouraged.