After years of talking about transformation in healthcare, we’re seeing remarkable advances in the personalization and adoption of new technologies. And not a day goes by that we don’t hear about a new, promising artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
AI is really an umbrella term that covers a variety of technologies and models. Ultimately, AI uses various types of algorithms to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as reasoning, problem-solving, learning and understanding natural language. Goals of AI utilization include, but are not limited to, creating a more thorough decision-making environment and automating many tasks.
At Texas Health, we believe AI has the potential to not only streamline operations and reduce costs but allow us to care more efficiently and effectively for consumers while unburdening the caregiver. While use cases abound – medical documentation, disease prediction, patient navigation – so do the risks, including concerns about bias, accuracy, transparency, privacy and data security.
When evaluating AI opportunities for your organization, the following questions and tips may prove helpful.
- Technology alone does not solve problems. Be sure to ask not only what the challenge is, but how a new technology will fit into your processes, how will it be managed, and is this helpful for your people or just another task to be completed?
- The tools are only as good as the quality of the data on which they are trained. Question how the solution has been developed and where the inputs come from.
- Don’t assume that AI technologies will reduce the need for staff. Think of these tools as a co-pilot that people will need to guide, manage and oversee.
- Be careful about who you allow into your house. No organization can afford to introduce new cybersecurity risks.
- Develop a governance process to vet any requests. At Texas Health, a new system-level AI task force is exploring solutions and reviewing new and emerging AI use cases.
While this is the beginning of our AI journey at Texas Health, we’re excited to see how these innovative technologies can help us better care for our patients, our people and fulfill our Mission to care for the people in the communities we serve.