Healthcare organisations face significant transformation opportunities as they work to modernise aging IT infrastructure and integrate artificial intelligence technologies to enhance patient care delivery.
SOTI’s recent healthcare study, Healthcare’s Digital Dilemma: Calculated Risks and Hidden Challenges Exposed, reveals that 64% of IT decision makers currently deploy AI for processing and analysing medical data, while 58% use the technology for updating patient records and 42% for medical diagnosis support.
Despite these advances, outdated IT systems continue to create substantial barriers to innovation, presenting ongoing challenges related to security vulnerabilities, operational efficiency, and system interoperability.
However, the promise of innovation is being slowed by legacy IT systems that raise serious concerns around security, efficiency, and interoperability, with 99% of healthcare organisations reported to still use legacy technology.
According to VP of Sales, APAC at SOTI Michael Dyson over half of healthcare organisations say legacy systems are making their networks more vulnerable to attack and IT teams are spending too much time reacting to small IT issues in Australia.
“Without the ability to remotely manage and troubleshoot devices, day-to-day operations are suffering. Enterprise Mobility Management equips healthcare providers with the visibility and control needed to improve security, reduce downtime, fix device issues remotely as well as deliver safer, more efficient care.”
AI Use in Patient Care – Australia
Comparison of 2024 vs. 2025 – (Asked to those using AI in patient care)
AI use in healthcare organisations jumped from 70% in 2024 to 93% in 2025, signalling a dramatic shift in budget prioritisation (found in found in SOTI’s 2024 report ). What’s more interesting is how AI is being leveraged across various facets of healthcare.
| Use Case | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Process and/or analyse medical data | 65% | 64% | ↓ 1 pt |
| Update patient records | 58% | 58% | — |
| Plan the best course of treatment | 39% | 46% | ↑ 7 pts |
| Personalise treatments | 37% | 42% | ↑ 5 pts |
| Fulfill other administrative purposes | 18% | 40% | ↑ 22 pts |
| Diagnose conditions | 30% | 42% | ↑ 12 pts |
✅ Highlights:
- Largest growth: AI for administrative purposes (+22 pts)
- Improved diagnostic use: +12 pts increase in using AI to diagnose conditions
- Treatment planning: Adoption rose from 39% to 46%
“AI is already playing a key role in improving how healthcare organisations digitalise patient care. But without modern, secure infrastructure to support this momentum, many healthcare providers risk falling short of AI’s full potential.” said Dyson
Legacy Systems Are Limiting Technology’s Value and Raising Security Concerns
Globally, 96% of IT leaders reported challenges with legacy systems, IoT and telehealth.
Nearly all Australian IT decision makers (99%) indicated that their organisations utilise some form of connected devices or telehealth solutions. Telehealth helps support patients remotely, increasing accessibility, saving time and enhancing communication.
However, close to three quarters (77%) of organisations are using unintegrated, outdated systems for IoT and telehealth medical devices. This impacts interoperability, such as accessing real-time patient data all in one place and increasing security vulnerabilities.
Globally, 59% of organisations face downtime/tech issues, and 45% say legacy systems make networks vulnerable to attack. In contrast, Australia reported significantly more concerning results, with 66% challenged by downtime and 53% more vulnerable due to legacy systems.
Integrated EMM Solutions Must Be The Way Forward
Globally, IT decision makers face several obstacles in device management due to legacy technology. In Australia, a notable proportion of IT staff cannot support devices remotely/get detailed information on device issues (43%) and spend too much time fixing issues (39%).
Research also found that Australia (43%, along with the UK (47%) and Canada (46%) had the most issues with deploying and managing new devices/printers – above the global average.
This is where the current Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions in place are failing, and the enhanced Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) solutions are making a groundbreaking impact.
Data security is the top concern for 35% of healthcare organisations and 18% say that managing the security of shared devices was their top challenge. Together, 53% report a security-related issue as their top IT concern.
“Managing shared device security remains a leading IT issue. Basic MDMs no longer meet the demands of today’s complex digital environment,” said Stephanie Lopinski, VP of Global Marketing at SOTI.
“With more devices, users and field workers, healthcare must adopt EMM solutions for centralised deployment, security and management. Only then can IT leaders ensure scalable, secure and compliant operations.” Lopinski said.
Healthcare organisations are heading in the right direction. But to fully capitalise on emerging technology, they need to refocus and reallocate time and resources to upgrade their IT infrastructure.
Report Methodology
SOTI’s 2025 healthcare report surveyed 1,750 IT decision makers across 11 countries to uncover key insights into the evolving healthcare landscape.
The core markets included 200 respondents in the U.S. and the UK, and 150 respondents in Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, Sweden, the Netherlands, Australia, Italy and Spain.
