Overburdened health systems. Rising consumer expectations. AI’s transformative force. While healthcare faces these challenges and more in 2025, the industry possesses even more potential: the opportunity for reinvention. Leaders from pharma, medtech, healthcare providers and health plans have the power to reshape a healthcare system that will look dramatically different by 2030.
The 2025 ZS Future of Health Report equips leaders with insights and action plans to achieve the full promise of data, tech and AI: Using them to power truly personalized healthcare for people throughout their health journeys. We’ll help you shape up to deliver healthcare whenever and wherever consumers want it, with the speed and convenience they’re demanding.
Download the full 2025 ZS Future of Health Report to learn:
Why consumers feel so universally let down by healthcare and what the industry can do to elevate their experiences
Where the industry is at risk of missing the AI revolution in healthcare (and why)
How pharma, medtech and health plans can reengineer healthcare by empowering consumers and liberating providers
In the meantime, here are five key takeaways from our survey of 12,000 healthcare consumers and 1,500 healthcare providers from seven countries around the world:
Takeaway 1: Healthcare consumers feel even less cared for than in past years. Healthcare providers want to spend more time with their patients. Technology can help heal both problems.
In the four ZS Future of Health Surveys we’ve conducted, the proportion of respondents who say they feel “cared for” has never been high. But it’s getting even worse. In all five countries we surveyed in both 2023 and 2024, we saw noticeable declines in the percentages of consumers who say they feel cared for. This drop was especially dramatic in the U.S. and U.K.
Let down and left out: Healthcare is leaving people feeling less cared for than ever
Source: ZS Future of Health Survey
2021-2024 Q. Adult public: “Please take a moment to think about your recent healthcare interactions. Overall, how does interacting with the current healthcare system make you feel?” 2024 base: 12,000 adults; U.S.=4,000; India=2,000; China=2,000; Brazil=1,000; U.K.=1,000; Germany=1,000; Japan=1,000. Brazil and India were not surveyed prior to 2024.
There are many factors that explain how we ended up here, of course, starting with healthcare consumers who want more time with their HCPs than they’re getting. In Germany, Japan, Brazil and India, we found consumers spend as much time in their doctor’s waiting room as they do in the exam room. And speaking of healthcare providers, they have more patients to see than ever: In the U.K., Germany, China and Japan, the proportion of primary care providers (PCPs) and internal medicine practitioners who see more than 100 patients each week rose.
How can pharma, medtech, health plans and providers help stop the slide of patients not feeling cared for after healthcare interactions? Find out in the 2025 ZS Future of Health Report.
Takeaway 2: The most established healthcare markets risk falling behind on AI.
When it comes to AI, should we assume established healthcare markets will lead the way? Not so fast. Turns out, HCPs and healthcare consumers in India and China, the world’s two most populous countries, are far more trusting of AI than their counterparts in other countries. While trust in AI isn’t alarmingly low in established markets like the U.S., U.K. and Germany, the openness to AI in India and China could lead to these countries becoming hubs for AI innovation in healthcare.
Is your doctor all-in on AI? Depends where you live
Source: ZS Future of Health Survey
Q. Adult public and PCPs: “Artificial intelligence, or AI, refers to a technology that involves computer programs designed to mimic and perform tasks that typically rely on human intelligence. Some well-known examples of AI include OpenAI (like ChatGPT), Siri and Alexa. In healthcare specifically, AI can be used to evaluate medical images, predict risks and results, give personalized advice and help create new medications. In general (i.e., not specific to healthcare), how much do you trust artificial intelligence (AI)?” Base: 12,000 healthcare consumers and 1,199 PCPs; U.S.=4,000; 597. India=2,000; 100. China=2,000; [Internal Medicine] 100. Brazil=1,000; 100. U.K.=1,000; 102. Germany=1,000; 100. Japan=1,000; 100.
Takeaway 3: Beyond efficiency, doctors increasingly expect AI to enhance clinical decision-making.
Doctors say they’re most likely to use AI-powered tools for administrative tasks such as workflow management and as medical and administrative assistants. Still, a healthy percentage—especially in China, India and Brazil—say they’re open to using AI to inform patient care directly.
Doctors are ready to embrace AI for patient care, not just admin
Source: ZS Future of Health Survey
Q. PCPs: “How likely are you to use AI in the future for the following applications?” Base: 1,199 PCPs; U.S.=597; U.K.=102; Brazil=100; Germany=100; India=100; China [Internal Medicine]=100; Japan=100.
Life sciences companies can leverage AI to help make sure every minute an HCP spends with a patient is valuable. As for patients, they see AI as part of the solution to their healthcare woes. Except for respondents in Japan, large shares say they are open to using AI-driven healthcare apps to manage their health.
Consumers are ready for AI-powered health apps
Source: ZS Future of Health Survey
Q. Adult public: “How willing would you be to use the following healthcare applications? (software, chatbots or tools) Patient triage: e.g., to advise you on the most appropriate course of action or healthcare setting to go to. Patient adherence: e.g., to help with dosing reminders, to predict the likelihood of discontinuing care and suggest appropriate interventions. Patient education: e.g., to help better understand a condition or take preventive action to avoid it.” Base: 12,000 adults; U.S.=4,000; India=2,000; China=2,000; Brazil=1,000; U.K.=1,000; Germany=1,000; Japan=1,000.
Takeaway 4: The (virtual) doctor is in for core healthcare needs.
Whether it’s managing a chronic disease, a routine checkup or treating a common illness, many of us picture ourselves in a doctor’s office in these situations. But we found a majority of healthcare consumers say they’re open to using telehealth or an online portal for these types of interactions. Our report covers what healthcare consumers prefer virtual care for—and what they don’t.
Patients are open to seeing the doctor virtually for certain interactions
Source: ZS Future of Health Survey
Q. Adult public: “In which of the following healthcare situations do you feel it is not essential to see a healthcare professional in person rather than via telehealth or an online portal?” Base: 12,000 adults; U.S.=4,000; India=2,000; China=2,000; Brazil=1,000; U.K.=1,000; Germany=1,000; Japan=1,000.
Takeaway 5: What’s in it for me? Patients will share data if it benefits them.
To truly put patients at the center in healthcare, it’s important to mine their past experiences for insights that can help personalize their care. Each patient’s story is hidden in their data—we just have to know where to look and what to do with the insights we uncover. Thankfully, nearly half of the respondents in the seven countries we surveyed say they will share their personal health information if it improves their health.
Consumers will share their health data if it helps them get personalized services
Source: ZS Future of Health Survey
Q. Adult public: “Which of the following are reasons that would convince you to share personal health information?” Base: 12,000 adults; U.S.=4,000; India=2,000; China=2,000; Brazil=1,000; U.K.=1,000; Germany=1,000; Japan=1,000.
This means life sciences companies, health plans and healthcare providers have an open door in 2025 to use data to offer insights that help people overcome barriers to care, improve disease understanding, build smoother patient journeys and holistically manage health and wellness.
A better healthcare system by 2030 depends on us—all of us
Building a sustainable, equitable and patient-centric healthcare system requires providers, pharma, medtech and health plans to bring the data, capabilities and perspectives for which they are uniquely positioned to contribute.
To explore how you can capture new opportunities for growth while helping relieve overburdened health systems, read the 2025 ZS Future of Health Report.
About the Future of Health Survey
This survey was conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of ZS in August and September 2024. It represents a balanced sample of 12,000 adult (individuals aged 18 and up) healthcare consumers and 1,200 primary care providers (PCPs) and internal medicine practitioners from the U.S., Brazil, U.K., Germany, India, China and Japan. It also includes 300 specialists from the U.S. All healthcare provider participants were licensed medical doctors with specialties in family, general, internal medicine, cardiology, oncology and neurology.
