Chicago healthcare organizations struggle with executing new technologies despite investments

Chicago, September 4, 2026, Despite significant investments in data platforms, interoperability, automation, and artificial intelligence, healthcare organizations are facing a new challenge: effectively executing these technologies across their operations. This is according to findings from the 2026 Black Book Research surveys of providers and payers.

Over the past year, Black Book Research has conducted extensive studies on various aspects of healthcare IT transformation, including interoperability, payer technology modernization, prior authorization, revenue cycle management, AI governance, and provider-network orchestration. These studies highlight a common progression: from data acquisition to workflow activation, human execution, and ultimately, measurable outcomes.

"The healthcare transformation conversation is moving beyond just technology acquisition to the critical phase of execution," said Doug Brown, Founder of Black Book Research. "Providers and payers have consistently told us that deploying another system or technology is rarely the final step. Information must be usable, workflows must adapt, and people must operationalize the technology to see real benefits."

According to Black Book Research, the key stages in the transformation process are: 1. Data → Usability 2. Usability → Workflow Activation 3. Workflow Activation → Human Execution 4. Human Execution → Transaction Authority 5. Transaction Authority → Measurable Outcome

The 2026 Black Book Research surveys, which included feedback from 8,194 verified managed-care and health-plan respondents, revealed that 82% identified interoperability, FHIR/API readiness, and usable data exchange as essential. Additionally, 86% prioritized the modernization of prior authorization and utilization-management processes.

In another study, the Payer-to-Payer API Reality Gap examined whether incoming healthcare information can be trusted, matched, normalized, and activated in operational workflows. This research underscores the gap between technical connectivity and operational readiness.

On the provider side, the 2026 State of Health and Hospital Systems Revenue Cycle Management Technology & Services Report evaluated software, platforms, automation, managed services, and enterprise financial technologies. The study, based on feedback from 882 validated provider-side respondents, highlighted the need for robust workflow automation, prior authorization, claims, integration, and measurable financial operations.

The 2026 Prior Authorization & Interoperability Readiness Benchmark focused on the translation of electronic capabilities into usable, repeatable operational execution. This study is among the most requested by Black Book Research.

Another key study, The Governing Hospital AI: 2026 Board-to-Bedside Accountability Guide, addressed the challenge of moving AI from promising demonstrations into controlled, auditable production. It emphasized decision rights, risk-tiered controls, clinical validation, governance, and measurable outcomes.

The LEAD Readiness 2027: The ACO Technology Market's Ten-Year Test broadened the execution issue into accountable care, examining multi-EHR interoperability, prospective financial operations, AI governance, cyber resilience, implementation capacity, rural enablement, and vendor accountability as part of a long-term operating model.

The Healthcare IT Capital Signals 2026 research explored how value may accumulate around capabilities surrounding the technology itself, including specialized human infrastructure, transaction authority, and embedded financial capacity. This study is part of Black Book's 2026 Investment & Strategy research collection.

"Connectivity, workflow, implementation, governance, and execution are stages of the same operating process," Brown noted. "The critical question now is where the process fails and how organizations can address those gaps to achieve measurable outcomes."

Independent research continues to be available through Q4 2026 to support healthcare transformation. The Black Book 2026 research catalogue includes reports across various healthcare technology domains, providing a centralized path for stakeholders to identify relevant studies.

"This is not to replace industry collaboration but to ensure that providers, payers, and other stakeholders have an evidence base to evaluate transformation strategies and technology claims," Brown added. "Healthcare needs independent evidence to support its transformation efforts."

SOURCE: Black Book Research