As the health care industry moves further into the digital age, the rapid evolution of technology is reshaping how care is delivered—and how care teams operate. Artificial intelligence, virtual platforms, and multi-solution digital ecosystems are increasingly positioned as tools that can support a strained workforce, improve the quality of care, and streamline administrative processes. However, despite growing enthusiasm among health care leaders and frontline workers, the path toward implementation remains complex.
Health care organizations today are navigating a convergence of pressures: an aging population with increasing care needs, a persistent shortage of clinical staff, and rising operational costs. Technology is widely viewed as a strategic asset that could help organizations do more with less—automating routine tasks, supporting clinical decision-making, and improving the patient experience. Yet adoption often lags behind potential due to cultural resistance, budget limitations, and uncertainty about return on investment. Many organizations are still in the early stages of integrating AI into clinical and administrative workflows, focusing on building trust, establishing guardrails, and educating teams on practical applications.
At the same time, the industry is grappling with how to ensure new tools truly support—not replace—the human connection at the heart of care. Clinicians continue to cite burnout, staffing stress, and time constraints as major challenges. Technology is increasingly seen as a way to alleviate these burdens if implemented thoughtfully and collaboratively between leadership and front-line teams.
The move toward integrated platforms and data-driven technology strategies represents the next major shift in health care transformation. Organizations that can align technology investments with workforce support, training infrastructure, and patient engagement strategies are poised to lead in the emerging digital health care environment. This transformation is not merely about implementing new tools—it is about redefining how care teams function in a connected, technology-enabled future. Here are the key findings from the Relias 2025 Technology in Healthcare Report that examines these issues.
Health care professionals recognize technology’s potential to improve care quality and efficiency, but widespread challenges—including staffing shortages, limited readiness for new tools, and slow adoption—are hindering progress.
Here are the key data points from the Relias 2025 Technology in Healthcare Report.
Fact: 44% of health care professionals believe AI has the greatest potential to improve operational efficiency
Fact: More than half of healthcare professionals are not familiar with AI-enabled tools.
Fact: Two out of three health care professionals cited workforce shortages and recruitment challenges as their top issue
Fact: 38% of respondents identified training as their top compliance concern.
Fact: Only 15% said their organization is “very ready” to adopt new technology.
Fact: 42% reported that their organization is slow to adopt new technology.
Fact: 62% of organizations are not using or planning to use virtual reality for training
Fact: Cost is the leading barrier to virtual reality adoption in health organisations
Fact: Only 19% of respondents said their organization “very frequently” acts on patient feedback.
“AI has the potential to enhance the clinician-patient bond by alleviating growing burdens on providers and supporting safer, more personalized, human-focused care.” – Lora Sparkman, Relias
“Fragmented systems drain time and focus from what matters most. A single integrated platform supports consistency, confidence, and quality across teams” -Felicia Sadler, Relias
“If we want to drive real change in patient outcomes and operational efficiency, experience management must be actionable, real-time, and embedded into daily workflows.” – Paul Jaglowski, Relias
About this report
The Relias 2025 Technology in Healthcare Report shares insights from a nationwide survey of over 2,000 healthcare professionals across various care settings. The findings show both optimism and caution as organizations assess the role of technology in tackling workforce challenges, compliance, learning, and care quality. Covering topics like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, platform adoption, experience management, and value-based care, this report offers healthcare leaders a comprehensive view of where innovation is happening, where obstacles remain, and how coordinated strategies can bridge the gap between ideas and implementation.
