Right now, U.S. digital health statistics look strong on paper. Market size is up. AI is everywhere. Usage is steady across virtual care, mobile health, and EHR infrastructure. But inside sales pipelines, investor meetings, and health system RFPs, the mood is more cautious. The gap between potential and performance is wide — and getting wider.
Too many teams are still building off assumptions from 2021: that growth will carry them, buyers will adapt, and a strong product will win on its own. That’s not how healthcare works anymore.
These digital health statistics are a breakdown of what actually matters — where buyers are putting pressure, where value is shifting, and what these stats mean if you’re trying to move from early traction to real scale.
Digital health market size and momentum
The global digital health market is expected to grow from $244.37 billion today to over $1.3 trillion by 2033. But the U.S. is where the highest revenue sits — and where buyer expectations are most complex.
In 2025, the U.S. market is valued at $92.08 billion and expected to surpass $248 billion by 2034. Revenue will hit $70 billion by 2029, with an average revenue per user of $249.55.
In 2023, digital health services accounted for 38% of U.S. market share. Buyers are leaning into embedded solutions — not standalone tools.
If you’re selling in this space, it’s not enough to track TAM. You need to know how real buyers allocate spend, how decisions are made, and how your product fits into a system that resists change by default.
Digital health funding and investor behavior
In 2021, U.S. digital health startups raised a record $29 billion in venture capital.
By 2024, funding dropped to $10.1 billion — the lowest point since 2019. The pullback wasn’t random, but structural. The check sizes got smaller, the bar got higher, and patience for unproven models shrank.
But the nuance is, capital didn’t disappear, it consolidated.
In 2024, AI-focused companies captured 42% of all digital health funding. They also drove 31% of total deal activity. That concentration signals investor conviction — but it also reflects discipline. AI companies aren’t getting funded because they’re AI. They’re getting funded because they’re solving expensive problems with measurable results.
The takeaway is simple: it’s no longer enough to be “innovative.” If your product doesn’t tie to margin improvement, staffing relief, or quality-based reimbursement, you’re in the wrong narrative.
If you’re raising, this environment favors teams who:
- Show repeatable buyer behavior — not just pilot wins
- Price for procurement logic — not investor optics
- Build for adoption at scale — not just technical edge
Put differently: AI is getting funded, but only if it’s grounded in workflows that health systems can say yes to — without needing five new hires or a six-month integration plan.
Telehealth and remote care: Demand is real, but the stakes are higher
As of 2023, telehealth was the highest revenue-generating digital health tool in the U.S., pulling in $48.37 billion and accounting for 44% of all digital health revenue. That figure is projected to grow nearly tenfold — reaching $467.8 billion by 2034.
Remote care — which includes virtual monitoring and asynchronous check-ins — is also rising. In 2024, it was valued at $7.1 billion, with projections pointing to $69.2 billion by 2034.
But the story isn’t just about revenue growth. It’s about usage, segmentation, and sustained behavioral shift.
- 54% of Americans have now had a telehealth visit.
- 116 million users preferred virtual consultations in 2024.
- By 2026, 25–30% of all U.S. medical visits are expected to happen via telemedicine.
- The top telehealth services — virtual consults, remote patient monitoring (RPM), and teletherapy — made up 47.4% of industry activity in 2024.
- RPM alone was expected to reach 30 million U.S. patients in 2024.
The age split matters too. Adults 31 to 40 led in telehealth usage, closely followed by those aged 19 to 30. Together, they represent the new baseline for digital-first healthcare delivery.
For commercial teams, this shift changes how you message, price, and structure adoption.
Here’s what that means in practice:
- If you’re selling RPM tools, the value story isn’t just convenience — it’s tied to reimbursement (like CPT 99457) and staff efficiency.
- If you’re offering virtual therapy or consults, the competitive moat isn’t the tech — it’s network depth, outcome data, and payer alignment.
- If your platform doesn’t plug into EHRs or patient portals already in use, the friction will outweigh the promise.
The bar has moved. Telehealth is no longer a workaround — it’s a delivery channel. And the buyers know it.
Mobile health and wearables: High engagement, uneven clinical value
Globally, mHealth was valued at $71.59 billion in 2024, with forecasts reaching $268.46 billion by 2034. In the U.S., mHealth revenue was $21.1 billion as of 2023 and is projected to hit $46.3 billion by 2030.
Adoption is widespread:
- 43% of Americans used a health app in 2024.
- 310 million smartphone users across the U.S., with 95% penetration among adults aged 30–49.
- Wearable tech in the U.S. reached $23.07 billion in 2024 and is expected to double to $47.51 billion by 2030.
But what users track — and what systems can act on — aren’t always the same.
As of March 2024:
- 35% tracked exercise or calories,
- 29% tracked blood pressure,
- 29% tracked heart rate,
- 27% tracked weight or diet,
- 24% tracked sleep.
That’s good data — but not necessarily structured for clinical use. The gap between personal tracking and system adoption remains real.
That said, wearables are getting smarter — and users are noticing:
- 28% say their device alerted them to a health issue.
- 76% got a confirmed diagnosis after seeing a doctor.
- 80% now own at least one medical device — from fitness trackers to BP monitors.
Adoption by generation tells the story:
- Gen Z: 20.5 million users
- Millennials: 27.6 million
- Gen X: 17.5 million
- Baby Boomers: 9.3 million
If you’re building in this space, clinical validation is the unlock. Health systems don’t want another dashboard — they want data that closes a gap, improves care plans, or justifies reimbursement.
The opportunity isn’t in the device — it’s in what that data helps trigger: early intervention, care coordination, or a reimbursable service.
If your wearable connects to a billing code, a treatment decision, or a measurable risk score, it’s not just wellness, it’s healthcare. And that’s what buyers will pay for.
AI in healthcare: Adoption is real, but skepticism hasn’t gone away
AI continues to dominate headlines in digital health — and for good reason. The numbers are massive, but they’re only part of the story.
As of 2025, the global AI in healthcare market is valued at $36.96 billion. That figure is projected to grow more than 16x, hitting $613.81 billion by 2034.
In the U.S., the AI health market sits at $8.41 billion, with forecasts placing it above $195 billion over the same period.
But where it gets real is the frontline behavior:
- In 2023, 38% of U.S. physicians said they used AI in their practice.
- By 2024, that jumped to 66%.
- Physician enthusiasm rose too — from 30% to 35% year-over-year.
Adoption is rising because the use cases are becoming more practical. It’s not just imaging or documentation support anymore — it’s care navigation, risk prediction, and capacity relief.
About 25% of U.S. hospitals now use AI-driven predictive analytics to improve outcomes. But much of that adoption is driven by pressure to make the investment deliver results.
So the framing matters.
If your AI tool promises efficiency, buyers will ask: Where? For who? Can we prove it in a budget review?
If your pitch centers on model performance, it’s not enough. Health systems want risk-adjusted value: less inbox noise, faster throughput, safer delegation, or billing lift.
Here’s the shift that’s working:
- From “we use generative AI to streamline documentation” → to “we help your team close HEDIS gaps and avoid MIPS penalties through automated quality capture.”
- From “we predict risk using real-time signals” → to “we identify at-risk discharges that reduce readmissions and protect DRG margin.”
Buyers aren’t resisting AI. They’re resisting unclear value.
If your solution shows up as another black box or another endpoint to govern, it won’t matter how strong the algorithm is. You’re not selling novelty anymore — you’re selling clinical confidence, system fit, and financial impact.
Digital therapeutics and population health: Slow burn, big bets
Digital therapeutics and population health management aren’t headline grabbers. But they’re foundational — especially as reimbursement shifts toward outcomes and chronic disease continues to strain the system.
In 2025, the U.S. digital therapeutics market is valued at $3.72 billion. By 2034, it’s expected to grow to $20.98 billion. That’s not explosive, but it’s steady — and built on policy, not hype.
Population health management (PHM) is moving faster:
- The U.S. PHM market was valued at $29.5 billion in 2023
- It’s projected to reach $113.96 billion by 2030
- Another estimate puts it at $21.5 billion in 2024, climbing to $102 billion by 2033
- North America held 47% of global PHM market share in 2023
The driver behind this? Chronic disease — and the cost tied to it.
More than 130 million Americans have at least one chronic condition. These conditions contribute to roughly 70% of all U.S. deaths annually, and represent a major piece of national healthcare spend.
For startups in this space, the play isn’t speed — it’s alignment.
If you’re selling into PHM or digital therapeutics, your buyer likely isn’t chasing innovation. They’re trying to reduce readmits, close care gaps, manage risk-bearing contracts, or improve quality scores tied to revenue.
That means:
- Your outcomes need clinical depth — not just engagement data
- Your pricing needs to map to population-level returns
- Your product needs to support both the patient and the system that pays for them
This is long-cycle work. But it’s where strategic buyers — especially ACOs, payers, and large employers — are actively looking for tools that reduce chronic care costs and improve population outcomes.
EHRs: Integration isn’t optional anymore for digital health
Building outside the EHR used to be a shortcut. Now, it’s a red flag.
By 2021:
- 88% of office-based U.S. physicians had adopted some form of EHR.
- 78% were using certified systems that met federal standards.
- Back in 2008, that number was just 42%.
Hospital systems moved even faster:
- Over 95% of non-federal acute care hospitals now use certified EHRs.
- Large hospitals (300+ beds) are near-universal at 97% adoption.
- Smaller hospitals (under 50 beds) still hit 88%.
Ambulatory settings are right there too:
- EHR use in ambulatory care: ~90% overall
- Primary care and internal medicine: 94–95%
- OB-GYN and pediatrics: 85–89%
And how are these systems being delivered? Mostly in the cloud.
As of 2024:
- 83.28% of EHRs are web/cloud-based — especially favored by smaller practices
- Cloud is also the fastest-growing deployment segment among hospitals
So what does that mean for digital health founders, commercial teams, and product leads?
You’re not competing with the EHR. You’re being evaluated on how well you work with it.
Buyers don’t want to add another login, tab, or silo. They want:
- Fewer clicks
- Better data sharing
- Faster care coordination
- Less friction for clinical staff
If your product doesn’t integrate cleanly — or worse, if you’re building around EHRs instead of within them — your buyer is already skeptical.
Digital healthcare advertising: Where the budget goes — and what converts
The U.S. healthcare advertising market hit a record $24.4 billion in 2024. By 2033, it’s projected to grow to $34.3 billion.
But the surface number doesn’t tell the full story. Most of that spend is concentrated — not just by sector, but by channel.
- Digital healthcare advertising is now the leading segment.
- Pharma accounts for 90% of all U.S. digital health ad revenue.
- Hospitals spend 85% of their marketing budget on Google Ads — despite low click-through rates.
- Local healthcare advertising dropped just over 3% year-over-year in 2024.
- Digital ad spend is $17 billion today, and expected to reach nearly $20 billion by the end of 2025.
That’s a lot of noise. And for most digital health teams, it’s not where the signal is.
Here’s what’s happening on the ground:
- Hospitals and legacy providers are over-investing in search to keep up visibility — not necessarily to drive action.
- Healthcare marketers are turning to LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google Ads to meet consumers where they search — but ROI varies widely by audience.
- For most digital health startups, especially those selling into B2B or enterprise channels, performance doesn’t come from spend — it comes from clarity.
If you’re selling into health systems, payers, or providers, your best ad isn’t an ad. It’s:
- Analyst validation
- Clear outcomes tied to buyer metrics
- Messaging that mirrors how your customer actually makes decisions
Yes, attention is expensive. But in healthcare, trust is the real currency.
If you can’t earn that with a case study, proof point, or trusted third-party signal, a $50k ad budget won’t fix it.
Patient behavior in digital health: Search, trust, and the new front door to care
Understanding where patients turn for health information isn’t just a UX question, but a go-to-market one. If you want to engage users, drive activation, or build referral loops, you need to meet them where their decisions start.
And for most Americans, that means search and social — not provider portals.
- 90% of Americans now use social media for health-related information.
- Among U.S. cancer survivors, 75% have actively sought health info, with healthcare providers still ranking as the most trusted source.
- Women are more likely than men to search online for medical content: 63.3% vs. 53.5%.
These trends show up in patient expectations too. They want care that starts online, communicates digitally, and builds confidence early — before a visit is even scheduled.
That’s a shift from inbound to informed.
If your product helps patients manage a condition, interpret results, or prepare for care, you’re not competing with just other tools. You’re competing with Google, Reddit, and YouTube — platforms that shape perception long before a clinician does.
For digital health companies, this means:
- Your onboarding flow matters as much as your clinical logic
- Trust needs to be earned early — through design, content, and plain language
- Gender-based behavior patterns can inform your acquisition strategy, especially in direct-to-consumer plays
And if you’re selling B2B? These patterns still matter because buyers want products that help their patients show up better informed, more engaged, and less likely to churn.
Patient behavior is your buyer’s problem. Solve it well, and you become part of their solution.
Telehealth usage: Younger, digital-first, and here to stay
Telehealth may have surged during the pandemic, but it didn’t drop off afterward. It normalized — especially among younger, tech-comfortable patients.
- In 2019, just 10% of Americans used telehealth.
- By 2022 and 2023, that number stabilized at 55%.
- Women are more likely to use telehealth than men (42% vs. 31.7%).
- 74% of millennials now prefer telehealth appointments over in-person visits.
- 78.6% of U.S. hospitals connect with patients through telehealth services.
These reflect a structural change in how care is accessed, especially for low-acuity needs, behavioral health, and chronic condition follow-up.
What does this mean for teams building digital health products?
- Millennials and Gen Z are your default digital care users — build your UX, messaging, and engagement strategy accordingly.
- Women drive more virtual utilization — and often make care decisions for households. Tailor your product and acquisition strategy to reflect that.
- Hospital telehealth infrastructure is already in place — your product needs to layer onto it, not compete with it.
Virtual care is no longer a workaround. It’s a primary access point for millions of patients — and a budget line hospitals are optimizing around.
If your solution enhances that workflow, you’re already in the right lane.
Final thoughts: Digital health data is only useful if it drives better decisions
The numbers are big. The opportunity is real. But clarity beats scale — and strategy still beats noise.
Yes, U.S. digital health is projected to pass $248 billion, AI adoption is accelerating, RPM, telehealth, and mHealth are all growing. But none of that guarantees traction.
That’s because buyers aren’t moving on buzz. They’re moving on value:
- Can your product plug into how they deliver care today?
- Can it show measurable return — financially, operationally, or clinically?
- Can your message cut through procurement and get to the people who actually say yes?
If not, it doesn’t matter how strong the market is. You’ll still stall.
Use the data — but don’t hide behind it. Let it guide the decisions that matter: which markets to pursue, which buyers to prioritize, and how to show up with a story that sticks.
If you’re navigating buyer stalls, GTM pressure, or market confusion, the numbers alone won’t fix it — but clarity will. At Accretive Edge, we help digital health teams translate insight into strategy, and strategy into revenue.
If you want to sharpen your next move, let’s talk.
