AI in 2024: Welcome to the 'new normal' in healthcare
The past year was obviously a pivotal one for artificial intelligence in healthcare, with healthcare provider organizations participating in significant new developments that promise to transform healthcare in the years to come.
The coming year promises to introduce new layers of technological and regulatory nuance as policymakers and healthcare organizations become increasingly sophisticated in their understanding and use of AI, and as they acclimatize to the “new normal,” said Ronen Lavi, CEO and co-founder of Navina. a developer of AI technology that works with data from primary care.
Healthcare IT news interviewed Lavi, who offered three trends that healthcare leaders should be aware of as they move into 2024: one on “meaningful use” of AI, one on explainable AI and another on greater adoption of technology-based, advanced payment models.
Q. You have said that initial steps will be taken this year toward what you call “meaningful use” of AI. Please explain.
A. 2023 saw the rise of AI in mainstream workflows across all industries with the launch of OpenAI's ChatGPT. With this, analysts predicted paradigm shifts in the labor market, with a particular emphasis on the middle-class 'knowledge worker'. In medicine, we have seen numerous releases of AI-enabled features ranging from environmental dictation, task management, and clinical decision support.
When electronic health records arrived on the scene, regulators responded with incentive programs to help accelerate the transition from paper to digital records, with the goal of increasing interoperability, quality and security. safety of patient care.
Now that every exam room is equipped with a computer or tablet with a wealth of patient information across platforms, physicians are increasingly turning to AI-powered systems for summaries and insights.
Today, AI-powered data summarization and exploration has become increasingly accessible to physicians. We expect that regulators will see an opportunity to encourage the use of these solutions, which enable a “full view of the patient,” to increase the safety and quality of care.
Q. There is certainly some reluctance in healthcare toward so-called “black box” systems. You suggest that by 2024, responsible, explainable AI will be king. Please provide some more information.
A. In 2023, clinical and healthcare IT leaders witnessed an unprecedented number of creative examples of how AI could be integrated into clinical and administrative workflows. A year later, however, these leaders have become increasingly sophisticated and have developed a deeper understanding of what AI can and cannot do for their organizations.
While software developers continue to push the boundaries of what AI can do, nothing can replace the doctor-patient experience when it comes to healthcare. Despite the exaggerated promises of systems that can overcome staffing challenges, the reality is that AI in a clinical environment will enhance rather than replace human interaction in the exam room.
A year into the hype cycle, we are acutely aware of the dangers associated with AI “hallucinations” based on large language models. These risks are especially high in a healthcare environment, and physicians are looking for ways to reduce their interactions with information coming from multiple sources and AI engines, both for patient safety and from a legal liability perspective.
While President Biden shined his light on it regulatory responsibility in AIwe expect that the AI systems that will prevail in the contentious battle for physician adoption will be those that explain AI-driven insights and ensure that the final judgment will be that of the physician.
Q. On another front, you predict that the inflation environment in 2024 will lead to greater acceleration and adoption of technology-based, advanced payment models. How come?
A. Amid the technological and pharmaceutical advances we saw in 2023, the third notable theme of the year was rapid inflation. The result is that costs for labor, procedures, and medications increase.
2023 saw significant moves in value-based healthcare investing, with Aledade securing significant funding and Walmart reportedly in talks to acquire ChenMed as two examples. We expect that current trends among providers and health plans toward value-based care will only increase in an environment where every stakeholder is feeling the pressure of rising costs.
Health plans will respond by further investing in programs designed to control overall health care costs. Because many health care organizations are already involved in the delivery of care as “payers,” these organizations are well positioned to continue eliminating fee-for-service payments.
We expect that hospitals and healthcare systems facing workforce shortages and rising costs, which have historically lagged behind value-based payment plans, will feel pressure from healthcare plans – and from their own balance sheets – to consider accelerating the move .
To make this transition successful, healthcare leaders will look to advanced technologies to support clinical staff tasked with new workflows and documentation requirements.
2023 saw a rapid acceleration in technology ranging from software to pharmaceuticals. 2024 promises to be a year in which we witness further progress and new dilemmas arising from the maturity and widespread adoption of these early developments. With a foggy macroecological future, we expect healthcare to double the total cost of healthcare initiatives, with an emphasis on technology-enabled, value-based healthcare strategies.
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