Noth everyone agrees with that idea.

Health systems and hospitals need to understand the outcomes and goals they are trying to accomplish with AI, says Robert Bart, MD, chief medical information officer at UPMC.

“We are past the time that people are saying they want to use AI because it is AI,” Bart says. “You need to make sure as you are examining the use of AI in your health system that it drives the type of clinical outcomes you are trying to achieve. In addition, AI models should have the scale that your organization needs.”

Bart says the process for identifying the desired goals and outcomes of an AI tool depends on the problem you are trying to solve.

“You want to identify your goals and desired outcomes early on when you are evaluating whether you want to adopt an AI tool, whether it impacts clinical care, the efficiency of care delivery, or other aspects that a health system has targeted,” he says.

For that reason, some healthcare leaders prefer to include AI as part of the organization’s innovation strategy, and to treat AI as just another technology. Setting AI apart creates extra levels of governance that can slow down the process to a point where clinicians might get frustrated and look to avoid using AI.

Some executives point out that AI is so ingrained in the healthcare enterprise, integrating with so many different departments and functions, that it can’t be set aside and treated on its own. 

Establishing a governance strategy should be done early in the process of adopting AI tools, according to Eric Alper, MD, chief quality officer and chief clinical informatics officer at UMass Memorial Health.

“There is so much happening so fast in this space, including regulations, guidelines, and tools that are being released,” he says. “That is going to continue to evolve. So, you must have your set of experts lined up as more AI tools are released and there are changes in the environment.”

UMass Memorial has set up an AI governance committee. The panel has several representatives from key areas at the health system, including clinicians, IT staff, legal team members, risk management staff, ethicists, and people who are focused on health equity.

“Choose wisely and do your due diligence,” Alper says.

Providence has established AI governance to get ahead of several issues raised by AI models, according to Hoda Asmar, MD, MBA, executive vice president and system chief clinical officer at the health system.

“Providence proactively assembled an AI governance structure to ensure alignment around priorities and strategy, and ensure safety, privacy, security, equity, and the ethical use of AI,” Asmar says. “This governance structure will evolve as our experience and knowledge around AI deepens.”

The AI governance structure has several elements, Asmar explains.

“Early indicators suggest these tools have a high level of engagement and satisfaction with the care teams by allowing clinicians to spend more time with their patients, reducing stress and administrative task burdens, and allowing clinicians to focus on what matters most to them and their patients,” Asmar says.

Others aren’t so sure. AI is seen as a key to improving workflows for clinicians and helping them to address challenges that are driving doctors and nurses out of the workforce. But the fact remains that healthcare needs more providers, and there aren’t enough coming up through the system to replace what hospitals and health systems are losing.

Some have suggested that AI can indeed replace the doctor or nurse in tightly regulated and highly monitored instances where consumers need access to care, and providers just aren’t available. Think a direct-to-consumer telehealth platform that now addresses the non-acute concerns of consumers, such as a nagging cough or rash. Could an AI bot at some point take care of that health concern?

When asked to look into the future, Mastermind participants focused on AI as a tool for clinicians and others in the healthcare ecosystem, rather than as a replacement. And they see AI integrating with the technological backbone of the hospital and, in effect, becoming  the hospital operating system.

Sheahan envisions an AI-enabled operating system serving the enterprise, responding to queries from pretty much anyone within the health system. The platform might help doctors map the best care plan for patients, give nurses direction on inpatient care, help the rev cycle management team deal with a prior authorization or denial, or even map out the best route for a patient to a specialist appointment across town.

“We want to show the many groups that can benefit from AI why and how to use it to make themselves more efficient,” Sheahan said. “Ultimately, that is what is going to deliver ROI over time. We can make our business more efficient if we're all in this together.”

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