Bonus Features, Jan 25, 2026: 35% of patients would switch over clunky digital tools, 1 in 5 healthcare workers use unauthorized AI, and 33 more stories

Bonus Features - January 25, 2026: 35% of patients would switch doctors over poor digital tools, 20% of staff use unauthorized AI, plus 33 more stories

Here's your weekly roundup for healthcare leaders: quick hits, what changed, and where to act next. Scan the highlights, then pick one thing to improve this week.

Quick takeaways

• 35% of patients would switch doctors over clunky or outdated digital tools - your digital front door is table stakes.
• Nearly 20% of clinicians report using unauthorized AI - set policy, training, and safe alternatives before shadow IT spreads.
• Passwordless is valued (85%) yet rarely deployed (7%) - start with high-friction workflows and shared devices.
• Credentialing gaps can cost up to $1M per year for 1 in 4 providers - automate monitoring and tighten reviews.
• AI took 55% of 2025 health tech funding - expect more AI in documentation, risk, imaging, and operations.

Studies

• Patient acuity rose ~5% over six years (Vizient), while overall mortality dropped 33% from 2019 to 2025.
• Misuse of AI chatbots led the annual tech hazards list from ECRI, followed by weak preparedness for sudden loss of electronic systems and records.
• Nearly 20% of healthcare professionals use unauthorized AI at work (Wolters Kluwer Health).
• 35% of patients would switch doctors if digital tools are frustrating or outdated (Software Finder).
• 85% of healthcare IT leaders say passwordless authentication is very important, but only 7% have fully implemented it for clinical and non-clinical staff (Imprivata). See NIST SP 800-63B for authentication guidance.
• 40% of providers lack the time or resources to help patients fully understand MSK conditions and options (Hinge Health).
• Credentialing issues lead to up to $1M in lost bills annually for as many as 25% of providers (Intelliworx).
• 53% of organizations expect supply chain challenges to get worse in 2026 (symplr).
• Medicare and Medicaid cuts are having a moderate or significant impact on 81% of health system pharmacies (Cencora).
• 72% of leaders are concerned about the financial impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (MRO).
• 96% of the potential birth-giving population lives in areas with a shortage of mental health professionals (ProgenyHealth).
• 88% of clinical evaluators said an AI scribing tool helped them be more present with patients and families (InStride Health and Wharton).
• 62% say fragmented data systems are the top barrier to scaling AI (Innovaccer).
• AI companies captured 55% of all health tech funding in 2025, up from 29% in 2022 (Bessemer Venture Partners).

Partnerships

• Inovalon's pharmacy management software now integrates with AlayaCare's nursing management platform.
• BillionToOne's prenatal and oncology testing integrates with Epic's Aura diagnostics suite.
• Equum Medical's virtual care is now available on AvaSure's enterprise virtual care platform.
• Viz.ai launched real-time clinical intelligence for Salesforce's Agentforce Life Sciences.
• Voicebrook's pathology reporting tools integrate with Fujifilm's Synapse Pathology PACS.
• Community Care of North Carolina selected Innovaccer for decision support in care management.

Products

• Amazon One Medical launched Health AI inside the One Medical app.
• Greenway Health rolled out its Agentic AI Factory in collaboration with AWS.
• Kontakt.io introduced Patient Flow Agent to manage movement from admission to discharge.
• rater8 added AI Insights to its Visibility Engine for real-time answers from patient feedback.
• Reveleer announced EVE Hybrid AI, a prospective risk adjustment engine built on Google Cloud.
• SandboxAQ launched AQAffinity, an AI model to predict drug affinity before wet-lab work.
• Ventra Health launched vCision, an RCM improvement platform, with CitiusTech.
• Inovalon launched Clinical Trial Eligibility Screener to evaluate inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Company news

• Aidoc received FDA clearance for an AI triage solution addressing ED crowding and imaging backlogs.
• Corewell Health added organ donation registration to MyChart via Donate Life America.
• Aultman Health System implemented Nabla's ambient AI within Oracle Cerner.
• Qure.ai secured a Gates Foundation grant to build AI-based point-of-care ultrasound.

People

• DrFirst appointed Valerie Mondelli as Chief Commercial Officer.
• Chartis named Sara Vaezy Chief Product and Technology Officer.
• Acentra Health appointed Deborah Ricci Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.
• Akido Labs named Matt Siegler Chief Network Officer.
• Ovatient announced seven leadership appointments and promotions.
• Bessemer Venture Partners promoted Sofia Guerra to Partner.

What to do next

• Audit shadow AI use and publish a clear policy. Offer approved tools, training, and a feedback channel.
• Prioritize passwordless pilots in high-friction workflows and measure time saved per shift.
• Close credentialing gaps with automated status monitoring and weekly exception reviews.
• Run a 30-minute downtime drill for EHR and imaging to stress-test paper workflows.
• Make the digital front door fast: scheduling, messaging, refills, and bill pay in two taps or fewer.

If your team needs structured upskilling on safe, practical AI in clinical and operational workflows, explore curated AI courses by job.