Virtual Care Crosses the Threshold: AI Delivers 23% Average Impact in U.S. Hospitals

Black Book Research Releases Gratis Vendor-Agnostic Industry Report on the State of AI-Enabled Virtual Care

TAMPA, FL / ACCESS Newswire / September 10, 2025 / Black Book Research today announced the release of The State of AI-Enabled Virtual Care in U.S. Healthcare, a comprehensive 90-page report now available for download at no cost to industry stakeholders. The study, based on an August 2025 survey of 554 verified clinical, finance, and IT leaders, confirms that virtual nursing and allied virtual care are no longer experimental:

73% of respondents expect their organizations to expand virtual care by 2026.

The report details how hospitals and health systems are embedding AI-powered observation, documentation, and communication tools into core operations. Benchmarks reveal measurable clinical and financial gains, including reclaimed RN minutes, reductions in patient falls, improved sitter substitution, and fewer delays in rural transfers.

Impact Benchmarks: AI-Enabled Virtual Care by the Numbers

Black Book’s Q3 2025 survey uncovered measurable and consistent benefits from mature AI-enabled virtual care programs. When averaged across hospitals and health systems reporting results:

• Nurses reclaimed an average of 32.5 minutes per 12-hour shift through AI-assisted documentation and observation – equivalent to a 4.5% productivity gain.

• High-risk units saw an average 20% reduction in patient falls within 12 months of adopting virtual monitoring.

• Health systems achieved an average 40% substitution of sitter hours, freeing labor capacity and lowering costs.

• Rural hospitals recorded an average 26% reduction in patient transfer delays through virtual hub models.

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  Taken together, these outcomes represent an overall 23% performance improvement across efficiency, safety, staffing substitution, and rural access.

“This composite figure matters because it translates virtual care from a promising pilot into a proven operating model,” said Doug Brown, President of Black Book Research. “Hospital executives can now look beyond anecdotes and see reliable, average outcomes that affect both patient safety and financial performance.”

In addition to frontline benchmarks, the report evaluates vendors against 18 critical performance indicators, from interoperability with electronic health records to ambient AI effectiveness and ROI visibility. A dedicated section highlights the upcoming September 2025 telehealth policy changes and TEFCA-driven data exchange mandates shaping governance and compliance strategies.

“This study signals a turning point: virtual nursing has moved beyond pilots and is now becoming the backbone of care models,” said Brown. “Hospital executives, nurse leaders, and investors are seeking practical frameworks and reliable data to guide expansion, and this report delivers both.”

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The report is designed for hospital and health system boards and executives, CNOs, CMIOs, IT and finance leaders, payers, policymakers, and investors monitoring the future of AI-enabled healthcare infrastructure. The full report, The State of AI-Enabled Virtual Care in U.S. Healthcare, is available for immediate download from Black Book Research at https://blackbookmarketresearch.com/the-2025-black-book-report-of-the-state-of-ai-enabled-virtual-care-in-us-healthcare

About Black Book Research

Black Book Research is the healthcare industry’s leading independent source for vendor-agnostic surveying and benchmarking. Through rigorous, unbiased studies, Black Book equips hospitals, payers, and providers with insights to improve care delivery, operational performance, and patient outcomes. With a unique focus on artificial intelligence as a driver of fast, measurable ROI, Black Book highlights fully established software and services that are gaining the attention of health system boards. By translating emerging digital tools into meaningful applications, Black Book advances the state of healthcare IT and strengthens the alignment of technology with patient and provider needs. Read more on global healthcare IT studies at www.blackbookmarketresearch.com

SOURCE: Black Book Research

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