The pressure to do more with less is intensifying across healthcare. Emerging technologies offer a clear path to efficiency, faster access to information, and cost reduction. But while some organizations are testing and learning, others remain stalled. Both delayed experimentation and reckless acceleration carry risk. Yet inaction leaves healthcare organizations (HCOs) a critical juncture. Their hesitation to test and deploy AI has slowed vendor innovation and limited the maturation of responsible, healthcare‑grade solutions.

Without committed HCO partners willing to pilot and scale new capabilities, progress stalls for all parties as consumers grow more comfortable using AI for everyday decisions. They are seeking answers wherever they can find them – inside or outside the healthcare system. They are indifferent about the source of information: comfort levels with public AI tools (29%) and health‑insurer tools (31%) are nearly identical. Consumers will not wait for healthcare to catch up. Organizations that fail to act now risk ceding influence and engagement to external solutions, which may deliver incomplete or inaccurate information.

Rather than hesitate, HCOs should tap into the power of a customer experience (CX) platform for healthcare. Our evaluation of the market reveals:

  • Conversational AI is table stakes. Most vendors offer conversational AI in some form. As patients increasingly seek help after hours, health systems and payers need solutions that are reputable, trained, and explainable. They must be able to handle benefits, billing, and navigation questions safely when staff aren’t available. Choose a vendor with explainable models that cite sources, capture context, and escalate to a human appropriately.
  • AI Agents have potential for high impact. There are persistent shortages in the clinical workforce, and we can’t create more clinicians fast enough. AI Agents can unlock operational efficiencies. By taking on tasks like correcting provider directories they improve access to care. By gathering and synthesizing data for prior authorizations and appeals they decrease delays in care approval and help health plans and employers lower the cost of care.
  • AI search has already reshaped guidance. Conversational AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude are redefining how consumers seek guidance about health-related questions. HCOs must use a multi‑pronged digital strategy to reach customers across both owned channels and third‑party platforms. Inconsistent answers across touchpoints create confusion, erode trust, and open the door to misinformation. Without deliberate answer engine optimization (AEO) and modernized privacy practices, brands surrender control of the narrative to external platforms.

Get moving or get lapped

This is our second evaluation of CX Platforms for Healthcare, and much has changed across the industry and for each vendor since our last review. This time around, we evaluated twelve vendors based on 27 criteria. We identified the most significant platforms and researched, analyzed, and scored them. The Forrester Wave™ evaluation highlights Leaders, Strong Performers, and Contenders. We included these vendors (in alphabetical order): b.Well Connected Health, Fabric Labs, Health Catalyst, HealthEdge, League, Loyal, mPulse, Pager Health, Salesforce, Sharecare, Smart Communications, and Zelis.

Forrester clients can read the full report and use our interactive Wave experience to get customized vendor rankings based on the criteria that are most important to them.  Clients can tap Forrester AI to ask questions about the vendors, use cases, and more.

Schedule a guidance session with me to walk through the evolution of this market and how HCOs are leveraging the capabilities of these platforms such as personalized health recommendations, genAI, AI agents, and more.