Funding and regulatory challenges mount

Growth is the goal, but many businesses, particularly in North America, are struggling to meet performance targets set by private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) backers. Servicing debt repayments against the drag of high interest rates and inflation is further stressing growth ambitions.

Digital health leaders in Canada, Spain and Singapore are particularly gloomy, with those in the UK and Italy feeling more optimistic. 

Supply chain and recruitment drag growth

Globally, a concerning proportion report headwinds in terms of:

• Supply chain (29%)
• Recruitment (28%)
• Meeting a minimum financial performance (28%)

Stress Mounting

A combination of weather catastrophes, power outages, trade wars, tariffs, localised government sanctions, economic volatility, geopolitical strife and cyber attacks, are generating unplanned logistics and transport disruptions. 

Likewise, labour shortages are a top concern for digital health executives. Post-Covid burnout remains an issue at the top end, while at the entry level there are fewer staff joining as many struggle to fund their training or ignore careers in a sector frequently portrayed as greedy or immoral by courts and broadcasters alike.