Patient Safety Predictions for 2025, Part 1

By Jay Kumar

PSQH reached out to experts throughout healthcare to get their predictions for what will happen in patient safety and healthcare quality in 2025. We received so many predictions this time around that we’re breaking it up into two parts. Here’s Part 1 of what they had to say.

Dr. Lissy Hu, CEO of Ascend Learning

As the AI hype cycle fades and healthcare organizations start to focus on deriving real value from AI, the ones who will be most successful will prioritize training the “humans in the loop.” Healthcare organizations have been talking about AI for several years now, but implementation has been a mixed bag. In 2025, healthcare organizations will prioritize deriving real value from AI. To do that, it’s critical that not only are the AI models trained properly, but the “humans in the loop,” in charge of working with AI tools, are trained properly as well. The organizations that most successfully deploy AI will be the ones who focus on developing the human capital to work with the technology.

AI’s role in training the healthcare workforce will be just as impactful as its role supporting clinical decisions or back-office functions.

Many of the most-discussed use cases for AI in healthcare are related to how it can help with administrative tasks or make clinicians’ jobs easier. Those are impactful use cases, but an overlooked value proposition for AI is its ability to make workforce learning solutions more effective. AI models can make learning more personalized, and educators who have implemented these tools are already seeing results. That progress will accelerate in 2025 and prove to be one of the most beneficial AI use cases.

Changing care and reimbursement models will necessitate significant updates in how we educate, train, and retain the healthcare workforce. Technological advancements and changes in payment models will continue to alter how and where care is delivered, with care at home becoming more commonplace. As these changes continue to take hold in 2025, it will be essential that the organizations responsible for educating and training the nurses and allied health professionals providing this care revise how they do so. New care models and sites of care necessitate new skillsets for providers. Those who don’t adapt will risk falling behind competitors who are better able to keep up with changing norms.

Allied health professionals are going to make up an increasingly large share of the healthcare workforce, and there will be more opportunities for them to grow and excel. Changing care paths and a greater emphasis on whole-person care means that there will be more opportunities for nurses and allied health workers. That’s notable in part because women and people of color often look to these roles as a way to improve career satisfaction, yet they’ve historically lacked access to quality versions of these roles. Next year will be one in which opportunities for training and more advocacy for these historically underrepresented will open new career paths for those who have not had clear career paths into the professions.

Pete Heydt, President of PatientPay, a leading patient payment partner for acute, ambulatory, and specialty care

While we’ll see continued emphasis on AI and digital technologies for healthcare billing and payment in 2025, billing departments should rethink the human element that’s needed to get bills paid. A 2023 McKinsey & Company report found that healthcare billing call centers increased productivity by 15% to 30% using generative AI. However, fully digital payment systems only work for patients who can pay immediately. For patients who may need additional time or assistance, billing support teams—particularly those working in call centers—remain essential. These small billing teams play a key role in assisting patients with payment plans, providing guidance and support for patients who need it. Taking a look to 2025, healthcare billing departments will likely focus on rearchitecting billing support to better balance digital solutions with the human interaction that many patients still need.

Andrea Greco, SVP of Healthcare, at CENTEGIX, a leading wearable safety technology provider for healthcare facilities 

Healthcare leaders must focus on safety to stabilize their workforce

“In 2025, workplace violence will continue to sit at the forefront of healthcare challenges, especially given staffing shortages, increased patient and visitor agitation, and lack of trust in the industry. This must be addressed to preserve high-quality patient care. In 2023, over 80% of nurses experienced workplace violence. When staff members feel better protected and less vulnerable, they can focus more effort on patient outcomes and experience. This is how workplace safety directly impacts patient care. Investing in safety systems will be imperative in safeguarding staff, while also helping to improve employee support and wellness, retention, and recruitment efforts. However, not all solutions are created equal. The quest for safer environments can introduce new problems, like employee privacy concerns due to Real-Time Locating Systems (RTLS). Healthcare facilities must build trust with their staff and have open dialogue around safety measures to ensure all concerns are heard and addressed. Healthcare workers deserve to feel confident and safe in their workplace.”

Dr. Tim Church, Chief Medical Officer at Wondr Health

Blockbuster drug pipeline
I don’t believe as many blockbuster drugs are going to come out next year to compete with the existing GLP-1s as some people think. The weight loss pipeline is probably two or three years out. I predict continued dominance by the existing players with nothing new dramatically changing supply or demand, which will keep costs high and employers likely to remain cautious when considering GLP-1 coverage.
Shift to weight-related chronic conditions
Instead of talking about weight and the number on the scale, I think we’re going to be talking more about weight-related chronic conditions. That really makes me excited. There are so many conditions such as sleep apnea, fatty liver, heart disease and dementia that benefit from weight loss in many people. Almost half the U.S. population has either pre-diabetes or diabetes. GLP-1s are a key part of the solution for many of these chronic conditions and will reduce the reliance on other medications. Millions of people will replace two to five medications with one – a huge win leading to improved health and quality of life for consumers and the potential to reduce health-care costs for employers.
Focus on weight training
I predict continued interest in exercise, specifically weight training, with a lot of this driven by programs that unfortunately aren’t supported by the science. We’re starting to see a ton of this already. Everybody and their brother is suddenly an expert, and they’re pushing forward their program which has never been tested – or it’s already been debunked. Some of this stuff is 40 years old, and it’s been proven at least partially untrue 20 times through the years. For organizations that offer wellness programs and the employees who participate in them, ensure the programs are science-backed to avoid injuries and maximize potential in 2025 and beyond.

Jeff Gartland, CEO at Relatient, which provides intelligent patient scheduling and engagement technology 

Market consolidation for MSOs and PE-affiliated organizations

Market consolidation among PE-Affiliated organizations will continue in 2025, particularly within specialty care. However, the challenge lies in operational integration. While acquiring groups may seem straightforward, aligning them under a unified strategy will prove to be far more complex. Resistance among regional practices to adopt standard processes and technologies, particularly when those approaches are associated with other groups, highlights the difficulty. Successful PE-Affiliated and Managed Service Organizations (MSOs) will need to navigate these operational challenges, ensuring local flexibility while maintaining scalable solutions that deliver consistent patient access and care.

Frank McGillin, CEO at The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic

The next stage of AI adoption: Personalizing the journey
As healthcare leaders become more comfortable with AI tools and we see success with existing implementations, AI has an opportunity to more deeply impact patient journeys. AI can personalize this journey to help patients navigate our complex system while directing them to opportunities for better care they may not have uncovered on their own. For this reason, I expect to see a sharp rise in patient-facing tool adoption next year.

If the patient journey is a map, AI can make it easier to get from Point A to Point B in a way that our current system isn’t set up to provide, like switching from a paper map to a phone app that is aware of the traffic jams. Such tools can see if a patient is at risk for a chronic condition and needs an assessment, or if they are living in a specialty care desert and need to be connected virtually to a sub-specialist who could dramatically improve their outcomes. We’re a long way from allowing AI to make clinical decisions, but I think this type of AI-enabled healthcare navigation assistance is the next stage of industry-wide AI adoption.