News
AI Emerges as Top Tech for Enhancing Healthcare in Industry Survey
- By John K. Waters
- 08/29/2024
Health system leaders responding to the annual "Top of Mind for Top Health Systems" survey said that artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the most exciting emerging technologies impacting their industry today, recognizing in particular its potential to enhance both care and administration.
The survey, conducted by the Center for Connected Medicine (CCM) at UPMC KLAS Research in March 2024, asked 55 executives and leaders at U.S. hospitals, health systems, and other health care organizations to identify the technologies they believe are most exciting, to identify the solutions that are most improved, and to share which problems in health care can best be solved with technology.
The key highlights from the report include:
- AI as a Priority: For the fourth consecutive year, AI was identified as the most exciting emerging technology by 85% of the respondents. AI's potential to enhance administration, operations, and clinical care is highly recognized, despite concerns about security and governance.
- Generative AI: There is a strong interest in generative AI, particularly for augmenting clinical care and decision-making. Examples include ambient speech technology, which improves physician efficiency by generating notes and automating tasks, helping reduce burnout.
- Improvements in Healthcare Technology: AI was also cited as the most improved technology over the past two years, especially in large language models and generative AI. The adoption of telehealth and virtual care, which surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, has continued to improve, with a focus now on inpatient use cases.
- Challenges in Healthcare: The report highlights ongoing challenges such as patient care, patient access, provider burnout, and operational efficiency. There's also a growing focus on data aggregation and analytics to support the implementation of AI solutions.
- Interoperability and Patient Engagement: The report notes progress in interoperability and patient engagement technologies, with improvements in EHR systems allowing better data exchange and alignment with patient expectations.
Overall, the report underscores the healthcare industry's continued emphasis on leveraging AI and other digital innovations to address persistent challenges and improve patient outcomes.
About the Author
John K. Waters is the editor in chief of a number of Converge360.com sites, with a focus on high-end development, AI and future tech. He's been writing about cutting-edge technologies and culture of Silicon Valley for more than two decades, and he's written more than a dozen books. He also co-scripted the documentary film Silicon Valley: A 100 Year Renaissance, which aired on PBS. He can be reached at jwaters@converge360.com.