Across industries, companies are on the brink of a second wave of digital transformation, fueled by AI and emerging technologies. But in healthcare, many organizations haven’t even completed their first digital transformation. While other sectors are pushing forward with cutting-edge tools and personalized digital experiences, too many healthcare websites still struggle with the basics of content management, user experience, and accessibility.
This is more than just a missed opportunity - it’s a growing risk. The digital world is moving faster than ever, and healthcare organizations that aren’t prepared will quickly find themselves left behind.
Many healthcare marketers recognize this tension: "We know our website needs improvement," they say, "but we’re just not ready to take on a website project right now." That may be true today, but the critical question you should be asking is this: Will your current website be able to serve patients effectively 12 to 18 months from now?
For the first time, with very little exception, I can confidently say the answer is “no”.
My perspective has less to do with your website and a lot more to do with the technology coming quickly. Advancements in AI are accelerating even faster than ChatGPT would make you believe. In the next 12-18 months, personal AI agents will become commonplace on the internet. These highly personalized virtual tools will change how users access information by running internet searches, recommending Netflix movies, and even navigating healthcare websites. Patient engagement is going to look very different as patients, caretakers, and providers start to integrate agents into their digital lives.
But these agents aren’t plug and play tools. Your website needs to be structured in the right way to maximize their effectiveness and allow for implementation. Your content - things like doctor information, locations, and services - needs to be built in a modern web architecture. If it isn’t, your organization won’t be able to effectively use and train them. If we’ve learned anything from ChatGPT, it’s that garbage inputs lead to garbage outputs.
The organizations that start updating their underlying web taxonomy now are going to be the future leaders in patient experience. They’ll be ready to implement new technologies in late 2025/early 2026, while those who wait are going to be trying to catch up.
So what exactly will this new architecture support?
Right now, you only have a handful of methods available to personalize an experience for your patients and other website visitors. But those capabilities are about to expand dramatically.
Your ability to engage with a patient (and your patient’s ability to engage with you) will be fundamentally altered as dynamic website pages become the norm and AI agents begin to represent patients and doctors alike virtually. The simple chatbots we’ve seen so far will be replaced by smart, intuitive, and empathetic assistants guiding patients and caregivers through their care journeys.
It may sound like the future, but that’s because it is the future - and it’s coming faster than we thought.
Take an honest look at your website and consider where our digital experiences are going and how quickly your organization is ready to make updates. Strong foundations are more important now than ever. If you want more detailed website personalization strategies, we offer some advice here. When you’re ready to explore a site update and need additional guidance, let us know.
