Epic and UW Research: AI in Healthcare Must Be Fair, Transparent, and Regulated
From improving efficiency to helping organizations enhance essential face-to-face human interactions, AI holds great promise for healthcare. But it requires strong regulation and clear definitions of the technology’s uses and capabilities.
WHY IT MATTERS
These were some of the conclusions that emerged from a round table discussionfeaturing two dozen leading experts in AI in healthcare, hosted this summer by Epic and UW Health, the University of Wisconsin’s integrated health system.
Key areas of focus included the ability of AI technology to improve access to care, accelerate health care delivery, and address inequities in underserved communities.
Participants, including representatives from the federal government, healthcare providers, insurers, academics and technology leaders, praised AI’s potential to reduce administrative burdens.
However, successful implementation and adoption requires close collaboration between healthcare organizations to train employees and integrate AI into their workflows, with a priority on patient-centric solutions.
Specific use cases covered include real-time patient monitoring and automated data entry, highlighting how AI can alleviate stress for healthcare workers.
One of the key concerns was the need for transparency as AI is integrated into patient care, and the importance healthcare institutions place on building trust in AI technology.
This can be achieved by informing patients when AI is used and by providing clarity about the use of data by external healthcare providers.
Participants agreed that AI should support healthcare workers, not replace them. They emphasized the importance of involving staff in testing and trying out new AI tools.
The discussion also touched on the importance of equitable AI adoption in rural and underserved areas if AI is to be truly transformative. Infrastructure development and technical assistance were seen as crucial to ensure that all patients benefit from AI.
Applications of AI in real-time monitoring of patient condition, generating alerts on clinical deterioration and providing uniform notifications on patient condition, enabling rapid healthcare interventions, were also discussed.
Predictive analytics, such as predicting risks such as falls in the elderly, can enable preventive measures and timely referrals to specialist care.
In terms of improving efficiency, participants concluded that deeper integration of AI into clinical workflows can improve efficiency, reduce manual workload, and provide data-driven insights for better treatment plans and patient outcomes.
Concerns about data equity and transparency were also discussed, with an emphasis on including diverse patient populations in AI models.
Effective regulation of AI in healthcare requires appropriate authority and a thorough understanding of the impact of AI on patient care. This requires regulatory frameworks that aim to stimulate innovation, ensure equal access and address disparities in the quality of care.
“Participants emphasized the importance of balancing the benefits of AI with ethical considerations, patient engagement, and robust regulatory frameworks,” the report said.
THE BIGGER TREND
As AI continues to be applied to healthcare, there is an ongoing debate about balancing its potential for improved health outcomes with concerns about labor, ethics, and equity. This remains critical and requires careful regulation to prevent harm and build trust.
From AI-driven computer vision and generative AI (GenAI) Workflow Tools for Nurses From burnout reduction tools to patient flow algorithms, the applications of AI in healthcare are broad and rapidly expanding.
The use of AI can also be extended to virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) applications, which are also becoming increasingly popular in healthcare.
ON THE RECORD
“For AI efforts to succeed, it is critical that policymakers and providers work together to ensure that the dynamics between patients and workers are given appropriate attention,” Epic and UW Health leaders said in the report. They noted that the roundtable was “unique because, unlike many other discussions that have focused on the technological aspects of AI, we examined AI from the perspective of health care delivery and the policy mechanisms needed to promote equity and access.”
“By bringing together healthcare providers, payers, policy experts, and other key stakeholders,” they added, “the roundtable identified best practices for integrating AI into the care process, reviewed current and future policies, and developed consensus recommendations to establish essential prerequisites for implementing AI in healthcare.”
Nathan Eddy is a healthcare and technology freelancer based in Berlin.
Send an email to the writer: nathaneddy@gmail.com
Twitter: @dropdeaded209
The HIMSS AI in Healthcare Forum will take place September 5-6 in Boston. More information and registration.