Should Healthcare Providers Be All-in for AI?
Small clinics worldwide are turning to Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a strategic tool. More than just a solution to staff shortages and patient dissatisfaction, this technology is seen as a game-changer in reducing hospital readmissions. A study published in PLOS One revealed that an AI-driven approach could significantly cut down on hospital readmissions. However, AI’s potential doesn’t stop there, and it poses an important question: Should healthcare providers be all-in for AI?
In this blog, we want to share the latest discourse on using AI in healthcare and how it can ultimately reshape how healthcare providers diagnose, treat, and interact with patients.
Current trends in using AI in healthcare
The 2024 Generative AI in Healthcare Survey illustrated the increasing adoption rates and driving budget for Generative AI (GenAI). Among technical leaders, they reported a 10-50% budget increase for GenAI, while 22% witnessed a 50-100% rise. Nearly one-fifth of them reported an astounding 300% budget growth.
According to the survey, the most common uses of GenAI in healthcare are the following:
Answering patient questions (21%)
Medical chatbots (20%)
Information extraction/data abstraction (19%)
Healthcare leaders who responded to the survey believe GenAI’s most significant impact over the next few years will be transcribing doctor-patient conversations, medical chatbots, and answering patient questions.
Why healthcare providers are going all-in for AI
Ultimately, large organizations or small practices are showing an increased willingness to explore various options for AI. In 2021, Microsoft and a large group of hospitals established the Artificial Intelligence Industry Innovation Coalition (AI3C) to form a “pragmatic coalition with public and private organizations to advance health by identifying and addressing significant societal and industry barriers.”
The launch of AI3C and the emergence of AI in healthcare signified that the future direction of healthcare is to have a standardized engine for providing optimal treatment recommendations personally customized to a patient. AI can analyze various patient parameters, including medical history, genetics, and disease symptoms. As a result, it can diagnose the underlying condition and offer personalized treatment recommendations.
More than improving patient diagnosis and treatment, AI is easing the burden of administrative processes in healthcare. Here’s what AI can do to help with administrative tasks, according to a Forbes article by Argawal (2024):
- ensures appointments are seamlessly integrated into healthcare providers’ schedules
- decreases patient wait times and increase the likelihood of timely care
- helps patients check their healthcare coverage and estimate the total cost of treatment
- generates clinical notes from doctor-patient interactions
For all these reasons, healthcare providers can’t deny that AI’s impact on healthcare is significant and growing. As it improves patient experience, making them feel heard and valued, the technology also supports doctors with resources for preventive care strategies and more.
Partnering with Synapse for responsible and efficient tech access
The human touch remains necessary in healthcare. Hospitals and organizations should still practice responsible use of AI. Hospitals and organizations should lead educational programs about the technology, while governments should have regulations around these tools.
Yannick d’Assignies, Chief Technology Officer of Synapse, explains:
AI is transforming healthcare by personalizing treatment, reducing administrative tasks, and improving patient care. However, responsible implementation is key and what we strive for at Synapse. We focus on integrating AI tools efficiently while ensuring patients and providers benefit from proper training and support. Without proper training and integration, even the most advanced tools are ineffective.
At Synapse, we ensure we don’t implement technologies without proper training. Our team of experts drives efficiency for your patients and providers – so everyone is freed from their paper assessments, repetitive questionnaires, and unnecessary medical minutiae. From revenue cycle management and prior authorizations to eligibility verifications, we can seamlessly handle your unique needs and integrate your AI tools.
What are your thoughts on going all-in for AI in healthcare? Share your comments and contact us today.
Source:
Agarwal, S. (2024). AI Personalizes Healthcare, Transforming Delivery And Saving Lives. From:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/shashankagarwal/2024/06/29/ai-personalizes-healthcare-transforming-delivery-and-saving-lives/
Leaders across healthcare, academia and technology form new coalition to transform healthcare journey through responsible AI adoption. (2022). Microsoft News Center. From:
https://news.microsoft.com/2022/01/13/leaders-across-healthcare-academia-and-technology-form-new-coalition-to-transform-healthcare-journey-through-responsible-ai-adoption/
Lin Y-W, Zhou Y, Faghri F, Shaw MJ, Campbell RH (2019) Analysis and prediction of unplanned intensive care unit readmission using recurrent neural networks with long short-term memory. PLoS ONE 14(7): e0218942.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0218942
Siwicki, B. (2024). AI has a role to play during the patient intake process. From:
https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/ai-has-role-play-during-patient-intake-process
Talby, D. (2024). Despite adoption hurdles, healthcare is all-in on Generative AI. From:
https://www.cio.com/article/2511399/despite-adoption-hurdles-healthcare-is-all-in-on-generative-ai.html