Nursing informatics professionals are poised to lead the transformation of patient care
In the ever-evolving healthcare landscape, the integration of artificial intelligence technology holds tremendous promise for transforming nursing practice.
As AI becomes more prevalent, nurses are at the forefront, ready to harness its potential to drive positive patient outcomes and streamline clinical workflows, says Anna E. Schoenbaum, DNP, RN, vice president of applications and digital health at the Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine.
The transformative impact of AI
At Penn Medicine, Schoenbaum oversees a broad portfolio including the healthcare system’s PennChart portal, clinical imaging, predictive health, medical decision support, digital applications and more.
She’s in it deep too the role of AI in healthcare, and she says the technology will have a transformative impact on various nursing roles in informatics and profoundly impact overall patient care.
Schoenbaum is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. She actively collaborates with HIMSS (the parent company of Healthcare IT News), co-chair of the Nursing Innovation Advisory Workgroup and member of the HIMSS Provider Executive Summit and CXO Experience Advisory Board.
In recognition of her significant contributions to the healthcare IT field, Schoenbaum received the 2023 HIMSS and ANI Changemaker Nursing Informatics Award.
AI will redefine roles in nursing informatics, she says.
“In the age of AI, application leaders are emerging as catalysts for innovation, leading the way in integrating AI-powered software solutions tailored to the dynamic clinical and operational demands of healthcare environments,” Schoenbaum explains.
“By using AI algorithms for predictive analytics and natural language processing, application leaders can optimize healthcare applications, improve decision-making processes and ultimately improve patient outcomes.
“When it comes to clinical leaders, nurses, who serve as advocates on the front lines, have a unique perspective to champion the seamless integration of AI technology into clinical practice,” she continued.
“Embracing AI-powered clinical decision support systems will enable clinical leaders to leverage them predictive analytics and machine learning algorithms, enabling the identification of complex patterns in patient data for more informed decision-making at the point of care.”
Needs of frontline providers
Additionally, collaboration with AI developers ensures that technologies align with the needs and preferences of primary care providers, she added.
“Operational leaders play a critical role in strategically driving the adoption of AI technology in healthcare organizations,” said Schoenbaum. “By means of By leveraging AI-powered tools for resource allocation, workflow optimization, and performance monitoring, operations leaders can improve operational efficiency and streamline care delivery processes.
“Collaborating with AI developers enables the design of tailor-made solutions to address specific operational challenges, improving the overall performance of the organization,” she added.
Then there is the role of information services and support teams.
Seamless integration of AI
“IS and support teams act as the technical backbone of AI implementation, providing invaluable expertise in systems architecture, cybersecurity and user training,” she said. “Through close collaboration with AI developers and healthcare providers, these teams ensure seamless collaboration integration of AI technology into existing infrastructure and workflows.
“Additionally, they facilitate comprehensive user training programs, empowering nursing staff to effectively use AI-powered tools in their daily practice,” she continued.
With their deep understanding of clinical workflows and data management principles, clinical informatics professionals play a critical role in translating AI-driven insights into actionable strategies to improve patient care, she said.
“Using AI-powered data analytics tools, these professionals identify trends, patterns and correlations within massive data sets, enabling evidence-based decision making and personalized care delivery,” she explains.
“Additionally, collaboration with AI developers facilitates the design and implementation of AI-driven interventions tailored to address specific clinical challenges, ultimately improving patient outcomes.”
Nursing informatics indispensable
As AI technology continues to develop, the role of nursing informatics in driving its integration into clinical practice becomes increasingly indispensable, she argued.
“By embracing AI-powered solutions and leveraging their expertise in clinical workflows and data management, informatics nursing roles are poised to lead the transformation of patient care,” said Schoenbaum.
“Through active collaboration with AI developers, healthcare providers and organizational leaders, nurses can benefit from this the full potential of AI to optimize clinical workflows, improve decision-making processes and ultimately improve patient outcomes in the digital age.
“It is imperative for healthcare leaders to remain immersed in the conversation and reflection around AI technology – fostering curiosity, participating in governance processes, understanding tangible measures of success, and carefully monitoring results and outputs” , she concluded.
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