Despite these promising applications, there is still limited institutional infrastructure to support widespread use. Only 18 per cent of respondents were aware of formal organisational policies governing GenAI usage
Healthcare professionals across the globe are increasingly optimistic about the role of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in addressing the healthcare industry’s most pressing challenges. However, a new report from Wolters Kluwer Health reveals that most healthcare organisations are lagging behind in their readiness to implement GenAI solutions effectively.
The report, released on Friday, is based on a comprehensive survey of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, allied health professionals, and healthcare administrators. It highlights a major disconnect between the enthusiasm among healthcare workers and the preparedness of their organisations to deploy GenAI for operational and clinical improvements.
While 80 per cent of respondents identified “optimising workflows” as a top organisational priority, only 63 per cent felt that their institutions were adequately prepared to use GenAI to achieve that goal.
“GenAI has the potential to be a powerful tool for supporting sustainability in healthcare organisations right now, as well as preparing them for a more efficient future,” said Greg Samios, CEO of Wolters Kluwer Health.
He noted that GenAI could help resolve long-standing issues such as workforce shortages, high healthcare costs, and clinician burnout. But he cautioned that without a clear strategy for adoption, organisations risk missing out on critical advancements.
“The challenge is developing a strategy that can both optimise the current state in a highly volatile environment and simultaneously equip organisations with the digital capabilities they need to remain competitive over the next several years,” Samios explained. “Right now, organisations are at risk of falling behind unless they take a more cohesive approach to making GenAI standardised, scalable, and impactful.”
The report outlines how GenAI technologies can contribute to solving key issues in healthcare. These include streamlining prior authorisations (67 per cent), managing electronic health records (62 per cent), boosting cybersecurity preparedness (68 per cent), and enhancing telehealth and virtual care programmes (65 per cent).
Despite these promising applications, there is still limited institutional infrastructure to support widespread use. Only 18 per cent of respondents were aware of formal organisational policies governing GenAI usage. Moreover, just one in five participants reported being required to complete structured training in GenAI tools or practices.
This gap in training and policy enforcement has led to increased concern among healthcare professionals. Over half (57 per cent) of those surveyed fear that excessive reliance on GenAI could erode critical clinical decision-making skills. In addition, 55 per cent are uneasy about the lack of transparency in GenAI-generated diagnoses, worrying it could obscure the rationale behind key patient care decisions.
The report urges healthcare organisations to move beyond experimentation and pilot programmes toward creating robust governance frameworks, workforce education, and technology infrastructure to fully harness the potential of GenAI.
It also stresses the need for ethical guidelines and transparency to ensure that GenAI enhances—rather than compromises—clinical care. By building clinician trust and setting clear usage boundaries, healthcare systems can mitigate fears around bias, loss of expertise, and overdependence on automated reasoning.
“GenAI is already reshaping the landscape of healthcare innovation,” the report concludes. “To unlock its full value, healthcare leaders must prioritise investment in policies, training, and scalable implementation strategies that align with both current operational needs and long-term goals.”
As the healthcare industry continues to grapple with rising administrative burdens, growing patient loads, and post-pandemic staffing shortages, the urgency to adopt intelligent technologies has never been greater. But without decisive action, the promise of GenAI may remain largely unrealised—despite widespread enthusiasm from the frontlines of care.
