Healthcare Wayfinding Trends in 2025

These five trends are shaping healthcare wayfinding evolution in 2025:

1. Mobile Wayfinding 

By now, the world is very accustomed to using Google Maps or Apple Maps on their mobile devices. Patients and visitors expect the same convenience when navigating a complex indoor environment like a hospital. Mobile-integrated wayfinding solutions are becoming indispensable tools for healthcare navigation in 2025. 

These applications provide turn-by-turn directions tailored to hospital layouts, easily accessible directly on your phone, without downloading an app. By simply scanning a QR code on a digital signage screen or kiosk, users can seamlessly navigate to their appointments without needing to stop staff members to ask for directions. This frees up staff to focus on more valuable tasks while also empowering patients to manage their healthcare experience from entrance to exit.

2. Augmented Reality (AR) Wayfinding

AR technology takes mobile wayfinding a step further by overlaying digital information onto the physical environment, guiding users with virtual arrows and indicators visible through their smartphones. Not only does this simplify navigation in complex hospital settings, but it also brings a “wow” factor to your healthcare wayfinding experience.

There is truly no better way to gamify your hospital wayfinding experience for patients and visitors than augmented reality wayfinding. As virtual reality and AR tools like the Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses and the Apple Vision Pro spatial/MR computing headset gained popularity in the last year, AR solutions, in general, have become more trendy. Adopting augmented reality wayfinding solutions will solidify your hospital as a leader in digital transformation against competitors and the broader market. Imagine the positive reviews your hospital will acquire as patients and visitors find healthcare navigation to be not only seamless but a fun, immersive experience.

3. AI Wayfinding Assistants

It’s no secret that AI has been a hot topic in the past couple of years as tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini became popular among the general public. Most people are now comfortable using AI chatbots to answer queries for anything from recipes to simplifying data sets. AI Wayfinding works similarly.

Simply ask the AI Assistant where you can find the nearest bathroom or a bite to eat and it will automatically pull up routing. Wayfinding AI Assistants can be used on kiosks, interactive digital signage, or on your mobile phone with a quick QR code scan. Most AI Assistants are also multi-lingual and are great tools for improving facility accessibility. 

The AI in the healthcare industry is projected to grow projected to grow from USD 20.9 billion in 2024 and is estimated to reach USD 148.4 billion by 2029, making this one of the most important healthcare wayfinding trends to watch in 2025.

4. Inclusive Design and Accessibility

In 2025, healthcare wayfinding must prioritize ADA compliance and inclusive design to meet the needs of all patients, visitors, and staff. Accessibility is no longer optional—it’s a must in modern healthcare navigation. 

Features like screen flipping for wheelchair users, voice-to-text capabilities for individuals with hearing or speech impairments, and adjustable font sizes for those with visual challenges ensure that wayfinding systems cater to diverse needs. Mobile integration and touchless solutions, such as QR code-enabled navigation, further enhance accessibility by offering customizable, user-friendly experiences. 

With ADA-compliant wayfinding technologies, healthcare facilities can create environments that are not only easy to navigate but also inclusive and welcoming to everyone, reinforcing their commitment to equitable patient care. For more, download our ADA Compliance Checklist for Healthcare Facilities. 

5. Data-Driven Wayfinding

Hospitals are leveraging data analytics to understand patient and visitor movements, identify navigation bottlenecks, and optimize signage placement, leading to more efficient navigation systems. By collecting real-time data from interactive digital signage, healthcare facilities gain actionable insights into how people interact with their spaces. This information allows administrators to identify high-traffic areas, underutilized routes, and problematic layouts, enabling proactive adjustments to improve flow and reduce congestion.

Data-driven wayfinding also supports predictive analytics, allowing facilities to anticipate peak visitor times, allocate staff resources more effectively, and streamline patient check-ins. Integration with appointment scheduling systems can provide patients with personalized directions based on their specific appointments, further enhancing the navigation experience. By leveraging data, healthcare organizations can create navigation systems that evolve with their needs, staying ahead of the curve in 2025 and beyond.