The State of Software Delivery in Healthcare
Original research with engineering, product, and technology leaders across US healthcare organizations.
Healthcare organizations don't have to choose between fast and safe.
We surveyed engineering, product, and technology leaders across US healthcare organizations to find out how the best teams are doing both. Here's what they told us.
Technical teams are under pressure to move faster.
Leaders are being asked to modernize, adopt AI, and ship faster than ever inside some of the most tightly regulated environments in software.
68%
struggle to increase delivery velocity without introducing operational risk
58%
spend more time navigating approvals than building product
What slows delivery most (% citing each factor)
-
Compliance approvals
57%
-
Budget constraints
47%
-
Security reviews
46%
-
Vendor integration
42%
-
Legacy systems
38%
Reliability beats speed.
Reliable software delivery has become the competitive advantage, not just raw velocity.
of healthcare leaders value teams that ship reliably over teams that simply move quickly
Organizations aren’t innovating less. They’re innovating more intentionally.
Structured adoption, sandboxed testing, and operational discipline are becoming the default path to shipping AI and new technology safely.
90%
say innovation strategies are shifting toward operational discipline
89%
say successful initiatives depend on structured adoption
85%
say secure sandbox environments are becoming standard
Confidence is often the limiting factor.
Teams don't stall because the tools aren't ready. They stall because no one's confident enough to move.
89%
say accelerating delivery depends on trusted software partners
67%
are more willing to adopt new technology when supported by an experienced partner
How high-growth teams reduce risk while moving faster
- Structured prioritization
- Experienced software partners
- Cross-functional planning
So what does this mean for your team?
The survey suggests organizations that balance speed with reliability invest in delivery foundations, intentional AI adoption, and strategic product thinking. Here are three ways to go deeper.
Build a stronger delivery foundation
Strong delivery foundations help teams move faster without sacrificing reliability.
Introduce AI with confidence
Successful teams balance security, governance, and practical implementation from day one.
Reduce risk before you build
Better product decisions reduce delivery risk before development begins.
Benchmark your team against your peers
Take the Healthcare Software Delivery Assessment to see how your organization's approach compares with engineering, product, and technology leaders across the US.