In a year when many health systems are managing tighter budgets and leaner teams, the appetite for innovation hasn’t faded; it has intensified. Our Emerging Solutions research only exists because of provider voices that asked KLAS to help them separate reality from the hype by elevating early, validated learnings from the field.
Now in its sixth year, this work has matured into a steady rhythm. Read on to learn more about our process, the benefits such research offers both providers and participating companies, and how you can contribute.
The Emerging Research Process
From the start, we’ve listened closely to provider requests on both which topics deserve attention and which companies merit a closer look. That combination of provider pull and market tracking is how we spotlight rising stars before they become well-known in the industry.
Our early work in the ambient speech market is one example of our catching a trend in motion and reporting on it quickly. When we’re able to bring out early stories like these, we support our broader mission to get useful information into the market as quickly as possible and keep an eye on it from there to see where we may need to do more research.
Practical and Actionable Answers
KLAS’ Emerging Solutions research aims to be both validating and actionable for providers:
- Our Emerging Company Spotlights and First/Second Look reports confirm that a solution does what the vendor claims according to real users’ experiences.
- Our Emerging Insights case studies give an early look at a new solution in its infancy or show how a single organization is applying a tool to solve a problem in what might be a different or unique way.
- Our annual Top 20 report looks at the Emerging Company Spotlight reports we’ve done over the last 12 months. Healthcare experts score each company by how well their solution or service helps organizations achieve each piece of the Quadruple Aim: to improve outcomes, reduce the cost of care, improve the patient experience, and improve the clinician experience.
There’s a standing invitation here for providers everywhere: We want to hear about who or what you want us to measure next. Warm introductions from provider leaders remain the most effective way to connect with emerging companies, and they increase the likelihood that companies will participate in measurement. That participation is essential to keep bringing new voices and value into the conversation about what’s possible.
Why Companies Engage
For innovative companies, engaging in this research delivers both candid customer feedback and earned credibility. Companies learn about what customers feel is working and where to improve, and that is honestly a prerequisite for any team serious about growth. They also gain credibility from being measured by an impartial customer voice. Even when their feedback is more about opportunities to improve, this recognition is powerful because it signals a vendor’s commitment to transparency and continuous improvement.
Some of these emerging companies continue to engage with KLAS after publication, and that signals that they find ongoing value in working with us. Roughly one-fifth of our current company members first connected with us via a Spotlight or First Look report, and about 70% of that group has gone on to attend an event, purchase additional research, or test a limited membership.
Adapting to Market Needs
We’re always looking to answer the big questions and to add different aspects to our reports. And while Emerging Solutions is its own line of research, it can occasionally spark other reports when the market needs a different lens. For example, our Ambience Healthcare ROI Validations report grew from repeated provider questions about precisely how a tool moved the needle on measurable returns on investment.
KLAS’ Continued Role in Innovation
Emerging innovation will keep shaping the future of healthcare, even in these more uncertain times. Our role is to validate what’s real, capture how pioneers and their customers are succeeding, and bring those lessons to decision-makers with speed and clarity.
I’ll put just one more invitation here: If you’re exploring new solutions or if there’s a company you want measured, tell us—your input guides what we take on next.
To dig deeper, watch for our recap of the 2025 Top 20 recognition at HLTH and check out the accompanying 2025 KLAS Emerging Solutions Top 20 report when it goes live after the awards night.
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