Building and Implementing an Artificial Intelligence Action Plan for Health Care
Staring at unlimited artificial intelligence (AI) use cases, hospitals and health systems need effective action plans for future health care delivery. AI has the potential to transform every aspect of health care delivery from the simplest administrative task to the most complex clinical procedures for less cost and improved organizational and patient care outcomes.
Health care AI is experiencing an influx of new technologies, algorithms and applications, leading to a dynamic landscape. Looking at unlimited possibilities with limited budgets, hospital and health system executives are learning strategically how and where to use AI technology for value creation. Their AI budgets are prioritizing patient access, revenue cycle management and operational throughput use cases that yield a tangible return on investment (ROI). Integrating AI into clinical care can enhance patient outcomes across health care settings and produce significant savings and improvements in health; however, challenges related to data privacy, bias and the need for human expertise must be addressed to implement AI responsibly and effectively.
The AHA Center for Health Innovation produced this Market Insights report for executives of hospitals and health systems to guide them as they journey into the use of artificial intelligence and AI-powered technologies to transform their organizations’ operations. This report is based on information and insights from interviews with 12 health care AI experts and leaders, published health care articles, presentations, reports, research and surveys on health care AI.
Foundational Building Blocks
People
Getting the people right is the hardest part of an effective AI action plan. The role of the CEO is critical to set the vision and lead an executive team that connects proposed AI pilots and projects with the overall strategic objectives of the organization. Changing the nature of work changes the culture of an organization.
Process
With the right leaders and team in place, the health care AI action plan must have a system that determines how ideas for AI pilots and projects flow to the leaders and teams vetting them.
Technology
Organizations must have strong data stewardship, governance and IT infrastructure. Data stewardship must be a criterion in an organization’s AI pilot and project vetting process. AI pilots and projects must meet an organization’s data governance standards.
AI-powered Solutions Drive ROI and Use Cases
Many hospitals and health systems look to improve financial stability and boost productivity by reducing staff time spent on administrative tasks with an ROI within one year. As health systems gain experience with AI initiatives, investments move beyond financial metrics and embrace a broader value proposition that AI offers in improving patient outcomes, patient experience, operational efficiency and reducing workforce burnout and turnover. Several tables and charts show the many AI use cases, the technology readiness level, the expertise required for deployment and the ROI impact.
AI Administrative Solutions in Use Today
One table identifies 17 areas within health care workflows that could benefit from AI-powered software and their ROI impact in patient access, revenue cycle management and operations.
AI Clinical Applications in Use Today
Another shows 11 areas in which AI can provide opportunities to improve patient outcomes, patient experience, operational efficiency and reducing workforce burnout and turnover.
AI Case Studies
Seven prominent hospitals and health systems have embarked on their own journeys into AI. They share how they are doing it, the benefits of incorporating AI, as well as the many lessons learned along the way.
- Atrium Health
- Cleveland Clinic
- Corewell Health
- HCA Healthcare
- Mayo Clinic
- Providence
- Sutter Health
Building and Implementing an Artificial Intelligence Action Plan for Health Care
