Top Health Tech Priorities in 2026, Led by Microsoft, Google and Gartner

LONDON — February 24, 2026 — Enterprise healthcare buyers are recalibrating digital roadmaps as cloud-native data platforms, AI-assisted workflows, and FHIR-based interoperability advance from pilots to core infrastructure across regulated care operations, drawing guidance from platforms like Microsoft Azure Health Data, Google Cloud Healthcare API, and industry frameworks curated by Gartner.

Executive Summary

• Health tech priorities concentrate on interoperable data ecosystems, responsible AI, and secure multi-cloud, with platforms from AWS and Oracle Health anchoring enterprise deployments.
• Standards such as HL7 FHIR and zero-trust architectures promoted by Microsoft Security are becoming baseline for compliance-focused operations.
• Clinical AI adoption is tempered by governance requirements; guidance from HIMSS and GDPR steers implementation toward explainability and auditability.
• Provider and payer consolidation is reshaping vendor selection; EHR ecosystems led by Epic and imaging platforms from Siemens Healthineers and GE HealthCare drive integration roadmaps.

Key Takeaways

• Interoperable, standards-based data layers are now non-negotiable for enterprise health tech, with Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure frequently selected for regulated workloads.
• AI in clinical settings demands rigorous governance and documentation, aligning with frameworks from Gartner and McKinsey.
• Security and compliance are competitive differentiators; vendor trust centers (e.g., AWS Compliance) provide essential assurance for HIPAA and ISO 27001.
• Best-practice implementations emphasize modular architectures that integrate EHR platforms like Epic with imaging solutions from Philips and analytics on Google Cloud.

Lead: What’s Changing and Why It Matters Reported from London — In a January 2026 industry briefing, analysts noted that health tech buying decisions increasingly prioritize interoperable data layers and AI tooling built for audited, explainable workflows, with platforms from Microsoft, Google Cloud, and AWS setting architectural baselines for regulated environments. Per Q1 2026 technology assessments, enterprise teams are aligning with frameworks from Gartner and HIMSS to translate clinical assurance requirements into operational controls for data, models, and access. According to demonstrations at major healthcare technology conferences and provider evaluations, buyers favor HL7 FHIR-native services (e.g., FHIR specification) paired with secure identity and data policy engines embedded in platforms like Microsoft Zero Trust and Google Cloud Access Context Manager. Based on hands-on evaluations by enterprise technology teams, clinical AI tools must integrate directly with EHR ecosystems from Epic and Oracle Health, and imaging pipelines from Siemens Healthineers and GE HealthCare, ensuring reliable data provenance and audit trails. Key Market Trends for Health Tech in 2026

Trend	Enterprise Priority	Implementation Approach	Source
FHIR-Native Data Interoperability	High	Standardized APIs, data normalization	HL7 FHIR
Responsible Clinical AI	High	Explainability, audit logs, human-in-the-loop	Gartner AI Insights
Zero-Trust Security in Healthcare	High	Identity-first, least privilege, microsegmentation	Microsoft Security
Cloud-Native Imaging Pipelines	Medium	DICOM to cloud, AI triage	Siemens Healthineers Newsroom
Real-World Data & Analytics	Medium	De-identification, cohort analysis	Google Cloud HCLS
Integrated EHR Workflows	High	SMART on FHIR apps, single sign-on	Epic

Context: Market Structure and Standards Health tech architectures are consolidating around a layered stack: secure cloud infrastructure from Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, or AWS; a standards-based data layer using HL7 FHIR; and clinical applications integrated with EHRs like Epic or Oracle Health. As documented in Gartner’s healthcare provider insights, these layers are complemented by AI-driven decision support tools and imaging platforms from incumbents such as Philips and GE HealthCare. Per January 2026 vendor disclosures, compliance remains central. Buyers expect alignment with HIPAA rules administered by HHS, GDPR guidelines outlined by the EU, and enterprise certifications like ISO 27001 and SOC 2, often documented in trust centers from AWS and Microsoft. As documented in peer-reviewed research published by ACM Computing Surveys and findings in IEEE venues, healthcare AI deployments increasingly emphasize reproducibility, bias mitigation, and transparent model governance.

Analysis: Adoption, Architecture, and Governance

According to Gartner’s AI research, leadership teams are shifting from experimentation to sustained programs with clear governance and measurable clinical impact, prioritizing integration with data systems like Google Cloud Healthcare API and Azure Health Data Services. Based on analysis of vendor roadmaps and enterprise pilots, organizations are standardizing identity and access management across multi-cloud footprints using services such as AWS IAM and Google Cloud IAM, complemented by zero-trust strategies advocated by Microsoft. “Responsible AI is foundational in healthcare; we focus on transparency, safety, and outcomes,” said Karen DeSalvo, M.D., Chief Health Officer at Google Health, referencing guidance highlighted via the Google blog in January 2026. “Providers want solutions that slot into existing workflows and compliance frameworks, not standalone tools,” added a senior health industry leader at Deloitte, aligning with January 2026 client briefings posted on Deloitte’s healthcare portal. As documented in McKinsey’s healthcare systems analysis, successful rollouts use a modular, API-first architecture, aligning FHIR resources with EHRs from Epic, imaging systems from Siemens Healthineers, and analytics on Google Cloud. This builds on broader Health Tech trends and emphasizes model monitoring, data lineage, and incident response procedures formalized through enterprise platforms such as Microsoft Azure Architecture Center and AWS Well-Architected. “Enterprises are shifting from pilot programs to production deployments at speed,” noted Avivah Litan, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner, echoing insights consistent with Q1 2026 Gartner briefings. “Clients expect auditable pipelines and continuous assurance,” added a senior principal analyst at Forrester, reinforcing the industry’s move toward governed ML ops and secure data interoperability. Company Positions Platforms from Microsoft (Azure Health Data Services), Google Cloud Healthcare & Life Sciences, and AWS Health are establishing reference architectures for regulated workloads. EHR ecosystems led by Epic and Oracle Health provide integration anchors for care delivery, while imaging leaders GE HealthCare, Philips, and Siemens Healthineers advance AI-enabled diagnostics aligned with provider governance. Per corporate regulatory disclosures and compliance documentation, security and certification posture remain differentiators; enterprises examine vendor compliance maps and attestations at Microsoft Compliance, Google Cloud Compliance, and AWS Compliance. During recent investor briefings, company executives emphasized responsible AI and interoperability; see GE HealthCare Investor Relations, Siemens Healthineers IR, and Philips Investor Relations for management commentary that prioritizes data-driven clinical outcomes.

Competitive Landscape

Company	Core Capability	Compliance Focus	Reference
Microsoft Azure	FHIR data services, identity & zero trust	HIPAA, ISO 27001, SOC 2	Microsoft Compliance
Google Cloud	Healthcare API, imaging AI pipelines	HIPAA, GDPR alignment	Google Compliance
AWS	HealthLake, governed analytics	HIPAA, FedRAMP	AWS Compliance
Epic	EHR ecosystem, SMART on FHIR apps	HIPAA workflows	Epic
Oracle Health	EHR and data integration	HIPAA, data governance	Oracle Health
Siemens Healthineers	Imaging AI, workflow orchestration	Regulatory assurance	Siemens Newsroom
GE HealthCare	Imaging, analytics, device connectivity	Clinical safety, quality systems	GEH IR
Philips	Imaging, patient monitoring, data platforms	Security and privacy	Philips

Implementation & Governance: Best Practices Designing an enterprise-grade health tech architecture begins with a standards-based data foundation; FHIR resources and SMART on FHIR apps enable consistent integration with Epic and Oracle Health, while cloud-native services from Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure enforce policy controls. Methodology note: this analysis draws from January–February 2026 vendor disclosures and briefings, incorporating guidance from Gartner, HIMSS, and enterprise architecture resources from AWS. Security and compliance should be embedded from inception, meeting GDPR, SOC 2, and ISO 27001 requirements and achieving FedRAMP High authorization where applicable; enterprise teams validate controls through trust centers maintained by Microsoft, Google Cloud, and AWS. As documented in ACM Computing Surveys and IEEE, healthcare AI governance frameworks emphasize model lifecycle management, bias testing, and continuous monitoring aligned with clinical safety standards. “Healthcare organizations want unified data estates with clear lineage and policy enforcement,” said a senior executive at Microsoft, consistent with guidance published on Microsoft’s industry portal in early 2026. “Clinical AI must be held to auditable standards—accuracy, explainability, and post-deployment monitoring are essential,” added a leader in McKinsey’s healthcare practice, reflecting Q1 2026 advisory notes. Outlook: What to Watch Enterprises should continue tracking regulatory evolution from HHS and GDPR authorities, as well as guidance from industry bodies such as HIMSS and Gartner. Expect continued emphasis on interoperable data layers, audit-ready AI pipelines, and cross-vendor identity controls spanning Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and AWS, with buyers insisting on stronger evidence of clinical impact and operational time-to-value. These insights align with latest Health Tech innovations, where modular architectures and governance-led deployments are becoming standard practice. Figures independently verified via public disclosures and third-party market research; see industry resources from Gartner, Forrester, and vendor compliance centers from Microsoft, Google Cloud, and AWS. Timeline: Key Developments

• January 2026 — Industry briefings emphasized FHIR-first data strategies (Gartner Healthcare Providers).
• January 2026 — Guidance from global health bodies reinforced interoperability and governance standards (HIMSS).
• February 2026 — Major cloud providers updated public compliance documentation reflecting healthcare assurance needs (AWS Compliance).

Disclosure: Business 2.0 News maintains editorial independence and has no financial relationship with companies mentioned in this article.

Sources include company disclosures, regulatory filings, analyst reports, and industry briefings.

Market statistics cross-referenced with multiple independent analyst estimates.

Related Coverage

• More Health Tech Analysis