We're experiencing a new kind of pandemic driven by AI, scientific advancement, and tech adoption.

If you pause and look around, something remarkable has happened.

Healthcare — an industry we historically thought of as moving cautiously and deliberately — has suddenly found itself at the center of one of the fastest technology adoption curves in modern history.

Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised. During my Dose Response conversation with Graham Walker MD, he offered a perspective that helped me make sense of what many leaders are feeling today:

“Healthcare feels unstable right now… But if you think back to COVID, that was instability too. There was fear, uncertainty, and disruption everywhere.”

What an interesting comparison.

“Yet we accomplished things during that period that many people previously thought were impossible.”

COVID revealed what healthcare could do under pressure. Long-standing barriers suddenly moved. Innovation accelerated. Decisions that once took years happened in weeks. Entire systems adapted because they had no choice.

And now, as healthcare's digital dawn rises, we’re experiencing another kind of pandemic— not driven by a virus, but by AI, data democratization, and exponential technological acceleration.

The difference? We are still in Phase I of this wave and far from the maximal tolerated dose. Despite the extraordinary pace of adoption and advancement of AI in healthcare, we remain early in the therapeutic journey. There is far more ahead of us than behind us and we are nowhere near anything resembling herd immunity to the scale of change that is coming.

In many ways, this transformational moment is less about containing spread and more about building capability, trust, and fluency so society can benefit from this new therapeutic class — AI — responsibly and at scale.

For years, healthcare was a laggard in digital transformation. Take e-prescribing in the U.S.. It took more than a decade for 90% of healthcare professionals to adopt it in practice. Yet today, the pace feels entirely different.

As Omar Manejwala MD framed it during our discussion:

“Healthcare is digitally bradycardic — slow, cautious, deliberate. For good reason: first, do no harm. But society is moving at a tachycardic pace.”

That tachycardic pace now includes both patients and healthcare professionals.

When customer behavior changes this dramatically, markets change. And healthcare will ultimately have to move with them. Which brings us back healthcare’s unstable posture right now.

In my Dose Response discussion with Dr. Shunitra Chandra Segran, she captured the feeling perfectly:

“For more than a decade, we've talked about digital transformation. But in the last few years, there's a new kind of urgency… a shared sense of restlessness.”

That line resonated immediately and pushed me to explore the theme further in newsletters like Restlessness: The Leadership Trait Born from Healthcare's Digital Dawn and The Boxed Warning for Leadership.

Healthcare leaders know something fundamental has shifted. The old playbook still exists — but it no longer feels sufficient for the speed of the moment.

My own take? Restlessness emerges when the pace of external change exceeds our ability to absorb it. It emerges when we can see where the future is heading — but can't yet chart a clear path toward it.

Or, as Prof. Patrick Lynch described to me:

“It’s normal to feel disoriented — that’s the fear zone.”

The Fear Zone. Now that is something we need to discuss further. Because people are understandably concerned AI will require reskilling, re-roling, or even create redundancy. And that uncertainty creates restlessness.

But restlessness at a moment like this is a double-edged sword. Left unchecked, it drives hesitation, innovation theatrics, endless pilots, and AI anxiety. That is to say that in a world moving this quickly, to pause right now is to run the risk of being left behind. Yet harnessed correctly, restlessness can become leadership energy in disguise — fuel that can propel bold, decisive action to move healthcare forward.

And Not Just Patients — HCPs as Well

Patients are racing ahead with AI — and clinical teams are moving just as fast.

OpenEvidence told NBC News that 65% of healthcare professionals in the United States used its platform to ask more than 27 million clinical questions in April 2026 alone.

Meanwhile, IQVIA reported in late 2025 that healthcare professionals globally were already turning to AI weekly for medical and scientific information.

Then in March 2026, the American Medical Association released survey data showing:

“Over 80% of physician respondents currently use AI in a professional context — double the share reported in 2023.”

Let that sink in. 80% of physicians.

And not simply for administrative tasks or casual experimentation. The AMA survey went further:

“Over three-quarters say AI provides an advantage in the ability to care for patients.”

Wow.

While many healthcare organizations are still debating governance frameworks, implementation roadmaps, and operating models, patients have already moved. And clinicians have moved with them.

If further proof is needed, pay attention to where the major AI companies are focusing strategically. Earlier this year, Vasant Narasimhan, CEO of Novartis, joined the board of Anthropic — a move Forbes interpreted as a signal to:

“Look for Anthropic to make further inroads into healthcare.”

And the health focus is not just limited to Anthropic. Take Meta's launch of its latest model, Muse Spark. Not surprisingly, the announcement was bold in its ambition:

“We are on our way to personal superintelligence: an assistant that can help anyone, anywhere with the things that matter most to them.”

And once again — health was front and center. Meta specifically highlighted healthcare as one of the model's most important use cases:

“Health is one of the top reasons people turn to AI… we worked with a team of physicians to develop the model's ability to provide helpful information on common health questions and concerns.”

Think about that for a moment. The world's largest technology companies are not simply building smarter AI models. They are increasingly positioning themselves as interpreters of health.

Need more proof? OpenAI recently announced ChatGPT for clinicals:

“A version of ChatGPT designed to support clinical tasks like documentation and medical research so clinicians can focus on delivering high-quality patient care."

And in case there was any doubt about intent:

"We’re making it free for any verified physician, NP, PA, or pharmacist, starting in the U.S."

Little wonder then that Boston Consulting Group predicts the fastest uptake of generative AI may occur in healthcare, while McKinsey & Company foresees that up to 95% of life-science roles could soon have an agentic AI teammate.

Healthcare isn't standing on the sidelines watching the AI revolution unfold. It is increasingly becoming one of its central use cases.

The Final Dose

If you're feeling restless right now, good. Healthcare is changing. And you're sensing that moment. The question isn't whether change is coming. The question is how you choose to lead through it.

Patrick Nowlin and I discussed this at length. His framing was powerful:

“I think of innovation like a potent therapy: the dosage, timing, and combination with other ‘agents’ matter.”

And he took the analogy even further:

“Get it right, and you energize a team to move toward a bold future. Get it wrong, and you risk burnout or resistance.”

That matters because the next phase of healthcare's digital dawn will not be defined by technology alone.

As Chandana Fitzgerald reminded me:

“This transformation isn’t just about technology. It’s about people.”

And it opens something even bigger:

“The opportunity in healthcare is that demand is huge. If we free up capacity, we can reinvest it — but that requires deliberate strategy.”

Helping clinicians focus on higher-value care. Accelerating therapeutic innovation. Empowering patients with information they can understand and act on. AI has a potential role to play in all of it. So how do we move from today to tomorrow?

Smit Patel offered timely advice:

“Leaders must shed outdated assumptions and build teams that can pivot without panic.”

Especially in times of restlessness, the ability to pivot without panic may become a defining leadership advantage.

My takeaways from this chapter of the Dose of Innovation journey:

• Healthcare is no longer adjacent to the AI story — it is becoming one of its central chapters and it may be where society first learns what responsible AI looks like.

• Restlessness isn't a warning sign. It may be one of the most important leadership signals of healthcare's digital dawn.

• Patients and clinicians are already changing behavior. Organizations now need to decide whether they will lead, follow, or resist.

• Trust, capability, and fluency may prove more important than the technology itself as it is through adoption that healthcare behaviors will improve.

Healthcare leadership today demands the right skillset, an adaptive mindset, the courage of a boldset, and a heartset grounded in people.

The therapeutic window is open and the pandemic of change is already here.

In a world where patients, clinicians, and technology are all accelerating simultaneously… the organizations that move first may not be those with the best AI strategy. They may be the ones most willing to embrace the restlessness that comes with transformation.

This is a new pandemic of change. And healthcare is no longer watching the AI revolution. It's helping write it.

Join the Discussion

🌱 If healthcare is becoming one of the defining use cases for AI, what responsibility do healthcare leaders have to shape how it evolves?