East Tennessee’s healthcare sector is undergoing a quiet revolution with cutting-edge technology. Healthcare professionals and tech leaders are reshaping the medical landscape, with a particular focus on improving healthcare access. Known for its nationally recognized hospitals and cost-effective services, Knoxville and the surrounding region are embracing innovative trends to better serve its population.
Healthtech trends to watch in 2025 include:
- AI driving the patient experience
- Telehealth
- App development
- Remote patient monitoring
- Focus on cybersecurity
- Investment in precision medicine
- Private and public investment
East Tennessee Healthtech Trends
East Tennessee’s healthtech sector is booming, fueled by AI, telehealth, app development, and remote patient monitoring. Cybersecurity is a key focus amid rising threats. Precision medicine and strategic public-private investments are driving innovation, improving patient care, and strengthening the region’s economy.
1. AI driving the patient experience
In 2025, healthtech trends start with AI. While consumers are perhaps most familiar with generative AI, the health sector is using AI to address long-standing challenges in healthcare accessibility and efficiency. The partnership between Franklin Tennessee’s Community Health Systems (CHS) and Denim Health based in Austin, TX, exemplifies this shift. Together, they’re implementing conversational AI in CHS’s Patient Access Center to revolutionize patient interactions.
This approach:
- Improves patient satisfaction
- Reduces call times
- Creates organizational savings
All of these functions are supported while allowing human agents to focus on complex patient needs. Similarly, Oracle Health’s collaboration with Meharry Medical College in Nashville aims to address health disparities and promote community-centered care by enhancing clinical tools, research, and training using AI.
Both examples demonstrate how AI is being leveraged to improve patient engagement, reduce costs, and streamline administrative processes. The scalable model offered by conversational AI in call centers and the focus on AI-driven technologies in medical education highlight the potential for AI to enhance patient-centric care while optimizing operational efficiency across healthcare systems.
AI can bridge healthcare gaps by enabling remote monitoring, personalized treatment plans, and efficient communication. With their proximity to Knoxville, these innovations will benefit East Tennessee by allowing AI to help overcome unique healthcare challenges such as limited access to specialists and a higher prevalence of chronic conditions.
2. Telehealth
Our region’s rural landscape and growing population seeking primary care make it an ideal candidate for emerging telehealth adoption. One key reason for this growth is the expansion of telehealth services by major healthcare providers.
This trend is already taking hold in other parts of the state. For instance, Baptist Memorial Health Care is implementing the West Tennessee Virtual Care Project, funded by a $3.6 million grant from the Tennessee Department of Health. This initiative includes advanced telehealth features such as:
- Electronic intensive care units
- Centralized cardiac monitoring
- Virtual sitters
- Virtual nurses on wheels
All of these advancements enhance patient care without the need for travel.
Additionally, Tennessee nurses are providing care through telemedicine practices and apps, further driving the trend. These innovations are likely to address the unique healthcare challenges faced by rural communities in East Tennessee. This includes limited access to specialists and a higher prevalence of chronic conditions.
The adoption of telehealth in East Tennessee also aligns with broader efforts to improve healthcare accessibility and efficiency. By leveraging telehealth technologies, healthcare providers can bridge gaps in care, enable remote monitoring, facilitate personalized treatment plans, and streamline communication between patients and providers.
This approach not only improves patient engagement and satisfaction but also has the potential to reduce costs and optimize operational efficiency in healthcare systems across East Tennessee.
3. App development
App development is emerging as a significant healthtech trend in East Tennessee. This has been driven by the growing demand for digital healthcare solutions and the need to meet evolving patient expectations. While many healthcare providers in the region currently offer subpar mobile app experiences, the market is poised to become more competitive as the industry shifts towards digital solutions.
This trend aligns with consumer preferences, as 55% of patients now prefer using mobile apps for healthcare-related activities. Mobile health apps offer numerous benefits, including:
- Remote consultations
- Vital sign tracking
- Personalized health insights
These serve to promote proactive health management and improve patient engagement.
In East Tennessee, the rural landscape, rising population, and need for primary care make mobile health apps particularly valuable. They can bridge healthcare gaps by enabling remote monitoring, facilitating personalized treatment plans, and streamlining communication between patients and providers. This is especially crucial for managing chronic conditions and reducing the need for frequent in-person visits.
What’s more, the integration of advanced features like AI-driven virtual assistance, as seen in successful apps like Black Doctor 24/7, demonstrates the potential for innovative healthcare solutions in the region.
As healthcare providers in East Tennessee recognize the importance of meeting consumer expectations and improving patient care through technology, investment in app development is likely to increase. This will foster a more competitive and patient-centric healthcare ecosystem.
4. Remote patient monitoring
As in much of the country, remote patient monitoring (RPM) is emerging as a significant healthtech trend in East Tennessee. The RPM market is driven by factors such as:
- An aging population
- Increasing chronic diseases
- Advancements in technology
RPM offers a solution to healthcare challenges by enabling continuous care beyond traditional settings, benefiting patients with chronic conditions who may have limited access to specialists.
The rise of wearable devices and smartwatches has contributed to the growing comfort with RPM. They can track vital signs, physical activity, and even detect potential health issues like atrial fibrillation.
RPM’s benefits are substantial, supporting:
- Improved patient outcomes
- Increases compliance rates and
- Patients taking more ownership of their health
For healthcare providers, RPM offers detailed health insights, faster access to patient data, and the ability to intervene proactively before conditions worsen. By leveraging RPM, healthcare providers in the region can expand access to care, maintain quality patient care, and efficiently reach more patients who would benefit from remote monitoring.
5. Focus on cybersecurity
A focus on cybersecurity will be a growing healthtech trend in East Tennessee due to increasing threats and the critical need to protect sensitive patient data. Tennessee hospital administrators remember well the 2024 Ascension cybersecurity breach, underscoring the importance of strengthening security protocols.
Healthcare organizations are prime targets for cyberattacks because they store vast amounts of valuable patient data and are often willing to pay ransoms to restore operations. In 2025, threats exacerbated by weak security control are becoming more sophisticated with the use of AI-driven tools like:
- Ransomware
- Phishing
- Cloud vulnerabilities
These attacks not only compromise patient privacy but can also disrupt clinical operations and lead to costly HIPAA violation fines. This is why East Tennessee healthcare providers are increasingly prioritizing cybersecurity to secure data and present robust security profiles.
The Tennessee Information Protection Act (TIPA) adds urgency by imposing stricter data privacy requirements on businesses operating in the state. Compliance with TIPA and federal regulations like HIPAA requires healthcare organizations to adopt advanced security frameworks, including identity management solutions and data lifecycle protection.
Additionally, Knoxville’s growing tech sector is fostering innovation in cybersecurity, with local companies investing heavily in AI-driven threat detection and incident response systems. By focusing on cybersecurity, East Tennessee healthcare providers aim to safeguard patient trust, ensure regulatory compliance, and maintain uninterrupted care delivery.
6. Investment in precision medicine
Precision medicine, also known as personalized medicine, is an innovative healthcare approach that tailors medical treatments to an individual’s unique:
- Genetic makeup
- Environment
- Lifestyle
It aims to provide more accurate prevention, diagnosis, and treatment strategies by utilizing genomic information, biomarkers, and advanced data analysis.
Investment in precision medicine is becoming a growing healthtech trend in East Tennessee thanks to its significant promise in cancer treatments, with targeted therapies demonstrating effectiveness across multiple tumor types. As East Tennessee healthcare providers seek to improve outcomes, adopting precision medicine approaches becomes increasingly attractive.
Another reason is the shifting consumer expectations toward personalized healthcare solutions. The demand for customized vitamins and personal health tracking reflects a broader trend of individuals seeking tailored medical care. This aligns well with precision medicine’s core principles, driving healthcare companies and providers in East Tennessee to invest in these technologies.
The potential for precision medicine extends beyond cancer treatment. It offers opportunities to improve care across various medical conditions by leveraging large datasets, including electronic health records and genomic information. As East Tennessee’s healthcare ecosystem evolves, investing in precision medicine technologies and research positions the region at the forefront of this healthcare revolution.
By embracing precision medicine, East Tennessee healthcare providers can offer more effective, personalized treatments while potentially reducing healthcare costs and improving patient satisfaction. This investment aligns with the growing trend towards more individualized and data-driven healthcare approaches.
7. Private and public investment
East Tennessee is experiencing a surge in healthtech investment, driven by a strategic blend of private and public sector initiatives. Public investment, including grants, infrastructure development, and research funding from institutions like the University of Tennessee. This creates an environment conducive to attracting private capital.
The combination of public and private investment propels the development and commercialization of new healthtech solutions. Community involvement is crucial, with local healthcare providers, entrepreneurs, and academic institutions collaborating to identify needs and develop tailored solutions. This ensures innovations address the region’s specific demographics and health concerns, such as cancer treatment and diagnostics.
The Knoxville Chamber of Commerce’s 2030 Protocol aims to position Knoxville as a top Southeast city for business and talent, focusing on investing in healthtech and fostering a business-friendly environment. This strategy drives:
- Job creation
- Economic growth
- Improved health outcomes
By combining private resources with public support, East Tennessee is fostering a dynamic healthtech ecosystem that improves patient care, promotes innovation, and strengthens the local economy.
How To Prepare for New Trends in Healthcare
To prepare for emerging healthtech trends in East Tennessee, healthcare providers should prioritize digital transformation. This starts with investing in upgrading digital processes for a seamless patient experience, beginning by cleaning up existing data. Focus on bolstering your cybersecurity to protect sensitive information and comply with regulations like HIPAA and TIPA.
You should also support patient literacy through educational initiatives. This empowers them to make informed health decisions and utilize new technologies effectively. A proactive approach will ensure readiness for advancements in AI, telehealth, and remote patient monitoring, leading to better patient outcomes and a stronger healthcare system.
Do More with TenHats
TenHats is well-positioned to support East Tennessee’s burgeoning healthtech sector. Our enterprise-grade IT services, including a local data center, offer robust and scalable solutions for the region’s unique needs. With increasing cyber threats, our team provides crucial cybersecurity expertise, aiding healthcare providers in complying with TIPA and HIPAA.
We offer:
- Cloud solutions
- Disaster recovery
- 24/7 support
All of this and more ensures data integrity and smooth operations for AI applications, telehealth, and app development. With our cross-industry experience, TenHats helps enhance the patient-first experience and can customize solutions for the evolving IT demands of East Tennessee’s healthcare landscape.
