Deloitte study finds widening ROI gap for healthcare AI

A study by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions reveals a widening gap between the scaling of artificial intelligence in healthcare and the ability of organizations to demonstrate its financial return on investment (ROI). While healthcare leaders are rapidly integrating AI capabilities, many lack the mature financial attribution tools necessary to tie spending to measurable outcomes.

Research indicates that 44% of health plan and health system leaders are “AI scalers” who expand technology across entire organizations. However, only 18% of these scalers report having mature financial attribution capabilities. This creates a challenge where capital is being deployed faster than the ability to prove value through cost savings, revenue growth, or margin improvement.

Despite this measurement gap, AI scalers express higher confidence in the technology's potential. Three-quarters of scalers plan to increase investments in generative and agentic AI over the next 12 months, and over 80% expect their investments to break even in less than five years. When value is reported, it is currently more frequently linked to clinical or operational improvements rather than direct financial metrics.