Healthcare under pressure: mastering risk to unlock new growth

Healthcare executives report that 76% see revenue growth, 60% see ecosystem development and 58% see geographic expansion as key opportunities, all of which require stronger digital foundations and modernised core systems to realise. At the same time, cyber threats rank as the top global risk, and organisations emphasise the need to integrate AI into existing technologies while strengthening data governance, interoperability and cybersecurity exposure controls. Protiviti helps organisations modernise legacy environments, manage technical debt and build more resilient technology platforms that support secure, scalable transformation.

Healthcare leaders identify data and cybersecurity risks (41%), integrating AI with legacy technologies and business processes (38%), and preparing the workforce to use AI responsibly (33%) as their most pressing challenges. These issues reflect the difficulty of modernising fragmented systems, ensuring governance over rapidly evolving AI tools and maintaining human oversight as automation expands. Protiviti helps organisations strengthen data foundations, build responsible AI governance frameworks and modernise core systems so AI can deliver safe, measurable and sustainable value.

Cyber threats rank as the number-one short-term risk, followed by regulatory uncertainty, third-party vulnerabilities and workforce shortages across both clinical and non-clinical roles. These pressures heighten operational fragility and require improved oversight of vendors, data, security and labor planning. Protiviti supports organisations in strengthening resilience, enhancing cyber readiness and improving risk visibility throughout the enterprise.

The survey shows the top investment areas as business process improvements (42%), cybersecurity (38%) and customer experience (31%). Leaders are prioritising workflow modernisation, digital tools, virtual care, automation and stronger identity frameworks to drive efficiency and reduce risk. Protiviti helps organisations advance modernisation, streamline operations and strengthen security to support these priorities.

Executives anticipate major long-term challenges in customer expectations and competition (48%), AI deployments (45%) and security and privacy (37%). With technology reshaping care delivery, organisations must modernise to stay competitive and maintain trust. Protiviti provides insights and capabilities that help leaders plan for sustained transformation, future-ready operating models and continued security maturity.