DHN Unveils India’s Digital Health Trends & Outlook Survey 2026 at AHPI Global Conclave

The findings from the DHN Annual Digital Health Trends & Outlook Survey 2026 are expected to serve as a strategic reference for hospital leaders, policymakers, startups, and technology providers.

Digital Health News (DHN), India’s leading digital health media and insights platform, marked a key milestone at the AHPI Global Conclave 2026 as a Knowledge Partner, unveiling its flagship industry intelligence report, India’s Digital Health Trends & Outlook Survey 2026, at Taj Lands End, Mumbai.

The unveiling was led by Vishnu Saxena, Founder & CEO, Digital Health News & ScaleHealthTech, who highlighted how Indian healthcare is entering a decisive inflection point, shifting from building digital foundations to driving AI-enabled, outcome-led healthcare at scale.

“The DHN survey shows clear momentum in cybersecurity, AI pilots, and HIS modernization, but intent alone will not deliver impact. India’s digital health journey will only scale when hospitals fix the basics: interoperable HIS platforms, reliable data sharing, ABDM compliance, a strong digital patient experience, and, most importantly, an empowered CIO-level leadership. I look forward to next year’s survey, where we report even better outcomes and progress. The next phase will be defined by execution, not ambition.”

From Stabilization to Scale: 2025 vs 2026

The DHN Annual Digital Health Trends & Outlook Survey 2026, based on responses from 65 senior healthcare technology and business leaders, revealed a clear evolution in priorities across Indian health systems.

• 2025 was defined by stabilization, strengthening cybersecurity, modernizing core HIMS/EHR platforms, and running AI pilots focused on operational and clinical support.
• 2026, in contrast, signals a strategic pivot towards enterprise-wide AI adoption, digital patient experience, interoperability, and data governance as a core enabler, rather than an IT add-on.

Key Survey Insights

What moved the needle in 2025

• Cybersecurity strengthening emerged as the top progress area (23.97%)
• AI adoption largely remained pilot-led (23.14%)
• Core HIMS/EHR modernization accelerated (22.31%)
• Patient engagement and interoperability continued to lag (6.61%)

What held organizations back

• Integration complexity across legacy systems (20.34%)
• Internal adoption and change management challenges (20.34%)
• AI and data talent shortages (16.10%)
• Data governance, DPDP readiness, and regulatory alignment (11.86%)

The Big Learning: AI Readiness is an Enterprise Challenge

One of the most striking findings presented by DHN was that AI readiness is no longer a technology problem, but an organizational capability.

• AI success was strongly linked to enterprise-wide data readiness (28.18%)
• Governance mattered more than tools (26.36%)
• Digital leadership needed to be institutional, not individual-driven (13.64%)
• Patient experience leadership emerged as a growth differentiator (20.91%)

2026 Priorities: Where Strategy & Spend are Headed

Looking ahead, the survey highlighted a decisive shift in budget allocation and strategic focus:

• Cybersecurity and DPDP readiness topped budget priorities (32.48%)
• AI/ML and advanced analytics emerged as the primary growth engine (22.22%)
• Digital patient experience and omnichannel access became the leading transformation priority (20.34%)
• Interoperability and unified health records moved from lagging indicators to strategic focus areas

Looking Ahead

Concluding the session, Vishnu Saxena emphasized that India’s digital health journey has reached a decisive inflection point. He noted that while 2025 was about stabilizing systems and building trust in digital infrastructure, 2026 will be defined by execution, where AI, data governance, cybersecurity, and patient experience converge to deliver measurable outcomes across healthcare organizations.

With its role as Knowledge Partner at the AHPI Global Conclave 2026, Digital Health News reinforced its position as a leading voice shaping India’s digital health narrative through data-led research, industry insight, and leadership engagement.

The findings from the DHN Annual Digital Health Trends & Outlook Survey 2026 are expected to serve as a strategic reference for hospital leaders, policymakers, startups, and technology providers as the healthcare ecosystem transitions from digital adoption to value-driven transformation.

Stay tuned for more such updates on Digital Health News