New market research shows health systems’ growing interest in behavioral change technology to enhance patient engagement

Despite broad recognition among health system leaders that behavioral science can enhance patient engagement to improve measures like satisfaction and medication adherence, new research indicates that alleviating administrative burdens is more likely to be prioritized when it comes to investment. 

That’s according to a recent independent survey of 79 health system leaders conducted by healthcare consultancy Sage Growth Partners, commissioned by Lirio in Q3 2025. 

Here’s a summary of noteworthy takeaways that will be featured in a new market report in early October:

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Current technology investments rank alleviating administrative burden over engagement solutions

Respondents indicated that their biggest struggles are personalizing engagement content such as text messages or emails on a patient level, engaging patients with outreach that’s sent, and automating outreach to reduce staff burden. 

But when it comes down to current technology in use or on the roadmap, alleviating administrative burden was ranked first by healthcare leaders who indicated that they’re more likely to prioritize operational efficiencies and workflow enhancements (71%) as opposed to implementing AI-based or personalized engagement strategies (43%).  

Opportunities for new reimbursements require new technologies 

Health leaders indicated that advanced patient engagement platforms would have the highest value in areas that are directly linked with high reimbursement potential. Those include gap-in-care notifications, in addition to chronic care management (CCM). As CMS continues to expand the number of CCM programs and billable codes, there’s less of a dotted line between technology to support time in between appointments and the ROI behind those solutions. 

Familiarity with nudge models is growing

Almost 90 percent of respondents indicated that they’re familiar with nudge models, defined as scalable, personalized patient outreach strategies that incorporate facets of behavioral science. But copious free-text responses indicated a disconnect between health system leaders’ wish list for technology capabilities, and solutions that offer such capabilities. Many indicated that they would like to:

• ”Automate outreach using predictive analytics to identify and engage patients overdue for screenings or follow-ups”
• “Deploy smart reminders via SMS/email tailored to patient preferences and medication refill schedules”  
• “Use AI to detect non-adherence patterns and trigger personalized interventions”
• “Implement loyalty-building engagement tools, such as personalized health journeys and milestone recognition”
• “Launch gamified health challenges and personalized wellness nudges”

Read more about how Lirio’s Precision Nudging unites AI and behavioral science for N-of-1 patient personalization here.

Learn how to close the behavioral gap in precision health