2024 healthcare communications report: Observations about the intersection of technology, collaboration, and patient-centricity

In the latest iteration of our 2024 State of Healthcare Communications Report, you'll gain a fresh perspective on the different motivations, concerns, strategies, and solutions shaping and driving a new era of healthcare.

The questions asked-and the insights gathered-provide context around the various circumstances and challenges facing U.S. health systems and the workforce within them, from frontline clinical workers to back-office IT support, all unified by the mission to provide excellent patient care.

Certain themes rose to the top in this year's report:

• Patient safety and data security are two top motivators and concerns within the healthcare workforce. When assessing new communication technology, it's critical to showcase how safety and security are managed, particularly as concern continues to rise (75% YOY increase) about protected health information (PHI) being communicated via unsecure or personal communication tools. This growing concern for both patient safety and data security is likely intensified by the rapid adoption of new tools, unfamiliarity with technology, and ongoing resource restraints.

• Healthcare teams want (or more realistically, need) streamlined cross-team collaboration and communication. Regarding clinical communication and collaboration (CC&C) platforms, the highest priority feature is "secure messaging," followed by "large group communication" and "care team collaboration." These responses signal diminishing patience for or acceptance of systemic barriers that slow down teams and delay decision-making.

• Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to garner interest from health systems. As these technologies are new and still in development and given the increased concern in this year's results about privacy, respondents feel the main obstacle to using AI is data privacy and security, followed closely by ethical and legal considerations. Healthcare leaders need to have the proper safeguards in place to ensure the people using the tools are informed and the patients receiving AI-supported care are safe.

What's clear from this year's results is that the healthcare industry is at a pivotal point, ready to embrace much-needed change with a workforce prepared to adopt new tools and technologies that foster team collaboration and enhance care quality and delivery.

Despite the challenges that lie ahead, such as safety and security concerns and the complexities of advancing technology strategies, it's clear the industry is committed to evolving and advancing healthcare for the betterment of frontline workers, operational support, and the patients they're dedicated to supporting.

Download this year's report to see insights into:

• Healthcare communication challenges
• The evolution of healthcare communication devices
• How the industry is addressing burnout
• The future of healthcare communications