Deloitte has launched the Deloitte Asia Pacific Health Institute dedicated to advancing access to healthcare, alongside its inaugural report, Access amplified: technology solutions for improving healthcare access in Asia Pacific. The Institute will connect Deloitte’s client work, people initiatives and societal investments to help health systems across the region use technology to expand access, improve quality and manage costs.
Asia Pacific has made strong progress on key health indicators and universal health coverage, but geographic diversity, income inequality, fragmented health systems, workforce shortages and demographic shifts continue to drive uneven access to care. Nearly half the region’s population (49.5% or 2.1 billion people) are expected to live on less than US$8.30 per day in 2025[1], limiting equitable access for those without insurance or with low health literacy. The report shows how these structural factors mean health outcomes are still shaped more by circumstance than by need, and argues that technology, guided by effective policy, can help break this pattern.
Drawing on case studies from Asia Pacific markets including Singapore and Indonesia, the report demonstrates how technologies such as telehealth, remote patient monitoring, telerobotics and smart hospitals are already helping to relieve pressure on hospitals, extend care into communities and homes, and improve outcomes for underserved populations. The report finds that in developed markets, access challenges stem less from income and coverage gaps and more from rising demand, persistent healthcare inflation, and workforce shortages that strain capacity and quality of care.
The findings are structured around four interconnected dimensions - demand, supply, quality and cost - and explore how digital health and technology-enabled care can drive transformative change. The report sets out solutions and policy recommendations that expand supply by reaching more people faster, improve efficiency to reduce costs, enhance care quality, and help lower demand by keeping populations healthier.
Considerations for policymakers and healthcare providers
Driving down demand: Address rising demand with digital self-service and prevention tools to reduce acute care demand, detect conditions earlier and shift care from hospitals to community and home settings, improving access for remote and underserved populations.
Driving up supply: Deploy AI agents, “digital full-time equivalents (FTEs)” or “digital teammates” as key drivers of productivity and expand and optimise clinical supply through Agentic AI and automation, secure telehealth platforms, Physical AI such as telerobotics and wearables, and AI-enhanced diagnostics to increase productivity, save clinical time and extend specialist expertise.
Driving down cost: Contain rising costs by using technology to drive efficiencies, enhancing patient care, operational efficiency and resource management with smart hospitals, workflow optimisation, predictive analytics and robotic process automation to reduce waste and lengthy admissions.
Driving up quality: Increase care quality through genomics, precision medicine, digital biomarkers, standards and clinical support to narrow quality gaps, improve clinical outcomes and increase public trust in digital care.
"Asia Pacific’s health systems are at a tipping point: demand is rising, supply and workforce capacity are under pressure, and costs are escalating. Yet, technology now gives us the tools to respond in a more targeted, equitable and sustainable way," said Kavita REKHRAJ, Deloitte Asia Pacific’s Life Sciences & Health Care Industry Leader. “Through the Asia Pacific Health Institute, we will continue to work with policymakers and health leaders to turn these insights into practical models of care that can be scaled across the region.”
Five cross-cutting actions to ensure technology increases access
To ensure technology closes, rather than widens the gap in care, the report sets out five cross-cutting actions for governments and healthcare providers along with practical use cases from the region:
1. Improve health literacy and digital inclusion:
Evolving technology solutions present key opportunities to empower consumers to actively engage in their healthcare and support themselves more autonomously. These solutions need to be co-designed with vulnerable populations, older adults, rural communities, migrants and other underserved groups, while keeping non-digital options available.
2. Invest in universal connectivity and high-quality interoperable data:
Universal access to high-quality, interoperable data is essential for realising the full potential of healthcare technologies. Interoperable systems are essential to unify these sources and enable AI to deliver meaningful and impactful results.
3. Prioritise prevention and primary care funding:
Providing increased care in the community or home-based settings will be key to reducing hospital congestion, prioritising inpatient beds for those who need them most. Policymakers can align incentives to reward population health outcomes, community-based care and early intervention enabled by digital tools.
4. Prepare the workforce and reskill staff:
Preparing the healthcare workforce and reskilling staff is crucial to successfully integrate technology into clinical workflows. By selecting tools that reduce administrative burdens, organisations preserve valuable clinician time—enabling more meaningful patient contact and improving overall care quality.
5. Establish governance frameworks for clinical AI:
Robust governance and regulation are essential for safe and effective AI implementation, mitigating risks and maintaining public trust. Policymakers can define clear regulatory pathways, clinical validation standards, bias monitoring and audit mechanisms to ensure AI tools used in healthcare are safe, effective, ethical and equitable while maintaining transparency and public trust.
"With the launch of the Deloitte Asia Pacific Health Institute, we will bring evidence, policy insight and practical innovation together, so health leaders across the region can collaborate at scale and turn promising pilots into lasting, system-wide change," said Sonia BREEZE, Deloitte Asia Pacific's Chief People and Purpose Officer.
