Legacy IT hampers rapid AI growth in Australian healthcare

Findings from SOTI's most recent healthcare report reveal that legacy IT systems continue to challenge decision makers in the Australian healthcare sector, even as adoption of artificial intelligence grows within patient care environments.

The report, titled Healthcare's Digital Dilemma: Calculated Risks and Hidden Challenges Exposed, shows that while 99% of healthcare organisations remain reliant on legacy technologies, there is a marked increase in the deployment of AI-driven tools. Within Australia, 64% of IT decision makers who have implemented AI use it to process and analyse medical data, 58% to update patient records, and 42% to diagnose medical conditions. The scope of AI within patient care is expanding, with 46% of Australian respondents reporting use of AI to plan the best course of treatment, up from 39% the previous year.

Michael Dyson, Vice President of Sales for APAC at SOTI, stated, "In Australia, 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. 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."

Rapid AI uptake

The report identifies a significant increase in AI usage among healthcare organisations. Between 2024 and 2025, the proportion of healthcare institutions reporting the use of AI rose from 70% to 93%. The research highlights the diverse applications of AI, extending beyond administrative support into clinical areas such as diagnosis and treatment planning. In 2025, 42% of Australian respondents indicated using AI for personalising treatments, up from 37% the prior year, and 40% for general administrative purposes compared to 18% in 2024.

"AI is already playing a key role in improving how healthcare organisations digitalise patient care," added Dyson. "But without modern, secure infrastructure to support this momentum, many healthcare providers risk falling short of AI's full potential. Legacy systems continue to introduce friction where there should be progress."

Ongoing legacy issues

Despite the deployment of AI and telehealth solutions, outdated and unintegrated IT systems remain a widespread barrier; the report finds that 99% of Australian health organisations are still dependent on legacy technologies. Internationally, 96% of IT leaders identified issues resulting from legacy systems, IoT, and telehealth. Telehealth adoption has increased, with nearly all Australian IT decision makers saying that their organisations use connected devices or telehealth platforms to deliver remote care, enhance accessibility, and streamline communication.

The report notes, however, that 77% of surveyed healthcare organisations are operating with unintegrated, outdated systems for IoT and telehealth medical devices. These conditions create interoperability challenges, such as difficulties accessing real-time data across platforms, and contribute to increased security vulnerabilities. Downtime and technical issues are prevalent, with 59% of organisations globally affected, and the proportion rising to 66% in Australia. Additionally, 45% of healthcare organisations globally reported that legacy systems have increased their networks' vulnerability to attack, compared to 53% in Australia.

Management and security concerns

Legacy technology also hinders efficient management of devices within healthcare organisations. The research documents that in Australia, 43% of IT staff cannot provide remote support or access detailed information regarding device issues, and 39% spend excessive time on remediation. Additionally, the difficulty of deploying and managing new devices or printers is pronounced in Australia (43%), comparable to the UK (47%) and Canada (46%); these figures all exceed the global average. The study concludes that current Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions are struggling to meet modern requirements, while advanced Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) systems are beginning to address these operational gaps.

Australian healthcare IT decision makers identified data security as their primary concern, with 35% placing it at the top of their agenda, while 18% said managing the security of shared devices was their most pressing challenge. Combined, 53% listed security-related issues as the highest IT concern within their organisations.

"Managing shared device security remains a leading IT issue. Basic MDMs no longer meet the demands of today's complex digital environment," concluded 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."

The report is based on a survey of 1,750 IT decision makers across 11 countries, including 150 respondents from Australia, and documents a sector at a critical juncture as it seeks to modernise infrastructure while meeting growing security and operational needs.