Survey results show a clear shift: 60% of executives see patient experience as the driving force behind access technology investments. Rising call volumes and demand for digital patient access are pushing organizations to modernize operations in ways that improve efficiency and strengthen loyalty.
To capture how leaders are approaching this transformation, Becker’s Hospital Review and Relatient conducted the 2025 Patient Access Survey of senior executives across large and mid-sized provider groups. The findings highlight where they are focusing investments and how intelligent systems like digital scheduling and agentic AI in healthcare are redefining patient access as a competitive advantage.
Patient access isn’t a feature anymore; it is fundamental to how providers operate, run their business, and support their community. When you leverage tools and technology along with automation and AI, you actually free up your team from repetitive tasks so they can spend more time on empathy and high-value touches that drive the overall patient experience.
– Jeff Gartland, Chief Executive Officer
Call centers remain central to patient access for healthcare leaders, with 47% ranking infrastructure upgrades among their top three investment priorities. Organizations are moving from traditional call centers to smart access hubs that do more than answer calls. These hubs apply automation, intent-driven routing, connect patients to the right resource faster, and strengthen overall access.
Survey results show that healthcare leaders view digital patient access as essential to patient satisfaction. Yet many current approaches, such as online appointment request forms (used by 32% of organizations) or scheduling embedded within portals (reported by 33%), still add friction by requiring multiple steps for patients and staff. Executives see this as an opportunity to adopt intuitive and integrated tools to create a seamless patient experience.
The survey highlights growing adoption of AI in patient access operations. 37% of executives report using AI for sentiment analysis, 36% for voice or agentic AI, and 32% for intelligent call routing. These tools are no longer experimental, but essential to advancing both efficiency and experience.
