Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept; it is here and revolutionizing healthcare. While some fear that AI might replace healthcare jobs, it is, in fact, empowering healthcare professionals to deliver better patient care, enhance efficiency, and ensure health equity and improve access to healthcare. This article explores the transformative power of AI across various facets of the healthcare ecosystem and why embracing this technology is not just beneficial but essential.
Hospitals and Healthcare Providers
Efficiency in Clinical Documentation
Imagine Dr. Baldaia, a dedicated physician who spends hours after her shifts completing clinical documentation, completing prior authorization forms, sending prescriptions, refills and referrals for the patients she has treated today. This administrative burden takes away precious time she could spend with her patients and her family.
Enter AI tools like Nuance, Suki and DAX. These tools assist in real-time clinical documentation, significantly reducing administrative burdens. Suki was recognized in the 2024 KLAS Emerging Solutions Top 20 Report for its impact on reducing documentation time, allowing doctors like Dr. Baldaia to focus more on quality patient care and less on paperwork. This shift not only improves the quality of care by giving Dr. Baldaia more time to spend with her patients and ensuring more timely and complete documentation. Added benefits include freeing Dr. Baldaia from administrative burdens and reducing triggers that lead to burnout among healthcare providers.
Clinical Decision Support
Nurse Practitioner, Gagnon faces a challenging case with a patient presenting complex symptoms that have not responded to traditional therapy with much discussion during daily rounds. Traditionally, he would spend hours sifting through medical records and research papers. Now, with AI-driven systems like DAX, he can access diagnostic and treatment recommendations almost instantly. These systems analyze vast datasets to provide accurate and speedy recommendations, improving patient outcomes that don’t replace clinical decision making, however, do help to surface the right information for consideration by providers.
Patients and Members
Improved Access to Care
Consider Jane, who lives in a rural area with limited access to healthcare services. She has to travel long distances for herself and her family for routine check-ups, specialist care, and care planning. It was this lack of immediate care in the pre-COVID era that led her mother to refuse treatment for her cancer as she didn’t want to burden her family with the cost and long travel times.
Post-Covid, AI-driven asynchronous telemedicine platforms like Fabric have changed her life. Jane can now have her health data reviewed by her healthcare provider remotely and discuss treatments, medication and care plans in virtual visits, reducing the need for frequent in-person visits, IoT medical devices allow her to support a new diagnosis of insulin dependent diabetes for her father.
These are examples of technology has made healthcare more accessible, especially for those in underserved areas, ensuring access to virtual and asynchronous care to improve the quality of care and health outcomes, while reducing the financial and social determinants of health that are very real barriers to patients receiving the care they need.
Patient Engagement and Satisfaction
Meet Amit, a patient managing chronic illness and moderate depression. He often felt overwhelmed and disconnected from his care plan and dissatisfied with the long wait times for appointments and answer to his health questions. With AI-enhanced personalized communication and care plans, Amit now receives tailored health information and reminders, keeping him engaged and motivated. His care team uses AI to add to it’s FAQs making it easier for patients like Amit to receive answers to care questions.
A Forrester study commissioned by Salesforce found that 82% of healthcare leaders believe AI will drive more efficiencies and improve patient experiences. Amit’s improved health outcomes and satisfaction are testaments to this belief.
Virtual Health and Telehealth
Up to $250 billion of US healthcare spending could become virtual. Payers are advised to define value-backed virtual health roadmaps, while providers should enhance digital front doors and virtual care capabilities to improve patient engagement. Full insights can be read here: Up to $250B of US health spending could become virtual.
Conclusion
AI is revolutionizing healthcare, offering solutions that enhance efficiency, improve access, and deliver better patient outcomes. By supporting rather than replacing healthcare professionals, AI creates a more effective and equitable healthcare system. Embracing AI is not just beneficial but necessary for advancing healthcare to meet the growing demands of the population.
It’s time to embrace AI in healthcare. Whether you’re a healthcare provider, a patient, or a caregiver, AI can bring about significant positive changes. Let’s leverage this powerful technology to improve care, enhance efficiency, and create a healthier future for all.
