Health Tech of the Week: AI in Medicine Is Not the Future. It’s the Present and a Necessity for the Development of the Healthcare System. Key Takeaways from the “Top Disruptors in Healthcare 2025” Report.

June brought the medtech industry a particularly interesting report: “Top Disruptors in Healthcare 2025”, published by AI in Health as part of the AI & MEDTECH CEE conference. This report delivered a wealth of insights, which we aim to highlight in this edition of Healthtech of the Week. It clearly shows that artificial intelligence is no longer just a futuristic concept or an experimental niche tool. Data collected from 146 medical startups reveal that over 60% actively use AI and machine learning as the foundation of their business and technology models.

An analysis of the solutions developed by Polish startups shows a clear dominance of AI applications in areas such as imaging diagnostics, clinical data processing, therapy personalization, and virtual medical assistants. The medtech sector has evolved from simple telemedicine tools to solutions based on natural language processing, predictive algorithms, and patient behavioral analysis.

The most common medical fields where AI is being implemented include cardiology (21%), oncology (19%), and psychiatry/psychology (17%). These areas are characterized by a high level of diagnostic and therapeutic complexity, making them natural candidates for data-driven systems. But is that enough?

Data Security as a Prerequisite for AI Implementation

Although slightly over half of the startups declare a high level of digital security, nearly 40% indicate that cybersecurity remains a significant challenge. This is alarming, considering that AI in healthcare operates on the most sensitive personal data.

– AI cannot function without trust. And trust in healthcare starts with data. If we fail to protect it properly, the entire value of the technology is undermined – says Dr. Katarzyna Węgrzyn, a medical innovation expert.

The report also shows that for 50% of the analyzed startups, the main challenge remains securing funding, while 44% cite effective commercialization and reaching the end user. Despite a high level of technological innovation, a lack of sales and marketing competencies is an insurmountable barrier for many tech teams.

Let’s not forget that the main users of medtech solutions are healthcare professionals (66%), followed by patients (59%). This requires not only advanced technology but also the ability to design solutions aligned with everyday clinical practice. To be effective, AI must be intuitive and supportive—not disruptive—to medical work. This seems to be one of the key barriers behind the lack of trust in AI among specialists.

Collaboration with the Public Sector Remains Limited

Despite growing interest in digital solutions in the healthcare system, only 13.2% of Polish hospitals have implemented AI technologies, though that’s twice as many as the previous year. This indicates rising potential but also substantial untapped opportunity. One of the major barriers for startups remains the lack of access to public funding and the limited openness of public institutions to pilot projects and testing new technologies.

The report makes it clear: AI is now a fundamental component of any competitive medical startup. Failing to implement these technologies may mean falling behind the main current of innovation. Furthermore, data protection must be an integral part of any technology project—cybersecurity is not a bonus; it’s a requirement.

Commercialization should be planned in parallel with technological development. Startups need interdisciplinary teams—not just programmers but also marketing, sales, UX, and regulatory experts. And collaboration with doctors? It is essential as early as the MVP design stage, since they are not just users but co-creators of the solutions.

A systemic change in how innovations are introduced into the public healthcare system is also urgently needed. Unfortunately, current regulatory and procedural barriers prevent effective testing and scaling of AI in public hospitals.

AI as the New Standard of Tomorrow’s Medicine

The “Top Disruptors in Healthcare 2025” report leaves no doubt: AI is not an add-on to healthcare—it is an essential component. Accelerating technology adoption, developing digital competencies among doctors, robust data protection, and regulatory support are the four pillars that will determine whether Poland can become a medtech leader in Central and Eastern Europe. All signs are promising, especially as the latest edition of the MCSC competition, organized by the Institute of Mother and Child, recently closed with a record number of global submissions. This reflects the enormous potential at the intersection of medicine and artificial intelligence.

At Healthtech of the Week, we unanimously agree: both the private and public sectors must work together to create a healthcare system prepared for the challenges of the 21st century. Because AI-powered medicine is no longer a vision of the future—it’s a necessity of the present.

—

Stay tuned for more in the “Health Tech of the Week” series, where we’ll continue to uncover fascinating stories from the world of medical technologies that are changing the face of healthcare. If you’re working on an innovative project in the field of new technologies and medicine or want to recommend an interesting solution, contact us at: [email protected].