Most healthcare leaders see AI as essential, but they see challenges ahead

Most healthcare leaders see the growing advantages of artificial intelligence in healthcare, according to a new survey.

Michael Meucci, president and CEO of Arcadia, said healthcare leaders are preparing for the use of AI.

Virtually all (96%) of the healthcare technology executives and leaders surveyed say AI offers a competitive advantage in healthcare, the survey says. The Harris Poll conducted the survey on behalf of Arcadia, an information technology company.

While most see the value of AI, the survey also indicated a few sentiments that could be surprising.

First, one in three executives described AI as vital today, a number that some may have expected to be higher. Nearly three-quarters (73%) said they expect AI to be vital in healthcare five years from now.

Healthcare executives also pointed to workforce challenges with AI. A solid number of respondents (40%) said the lack of the right talent to facilitate the adoption of AI is the top obstacle, followed closely behind by limited organizational experience with AI (39%).

More than a third (35%) also cited concerns with ethics, privacy and security as a concern.

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The Harris Poll surveyed 102 healthcare leaders and decision-makers in information technology. Arcadia released the results of the survey Wednesday.

While there are concerns about the use of AI, healthcare leaders who participated in the poll also pointed to some promising avenues for AI to improve healthcare.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents (63%) said they see the potential of AI to examine large quantities of patient data to detect trends, and possibly develop strategies to improve population health. A solid majority (58%) said they see AI as a useful tool to improve outcomes for individual patients. Nearly half (47%) said they think AI can help analyze electronic records.

Michael Meucci, president and CEO of Arcadia, said the survey illustrates that healthcare executives are preparing for “an AI-powered revolution in patient care and healthcare operations.”

“Our findings point to strong consensus among healthcare CIOs that a solid data foundation is required to make the AI-enabled future a reality,” Meucci said in a statement accompanying the survey. “CIOs also recognize that a human workforce with evolving talent and skills will shape the real-world impact of AI in healthcare.”

Even though health leaders see potential hurdles to overcome with AI, nearly all survey participants (96%) said they are confident in their organization’s capabilities in adopting AI tools, and more than half (54%) described themselves as very confident. Most (57%) cited strong support from top executives (57%).

Most healthcare leaders (96%) said they think AI can improve job satisfaction by reducing the amount of mundane work for employees.

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Many healthcare leaders have touted the potential of AI to improve healthcare and streamline business operations.

Alexander Ding, MD, a member of the board of trustees at the American Medical Association, said at the HIMSS Conference in March that AI’s more immediate benefits will be in improving efficiency and reducing administrative headaches for staff.

“There's an epidemic of professional disengagement and dissatisfaction. And one of those reasons is administrative burden … I actually think that's where AI has the most opportunity to streamline workflows,” Ding said at the HIMSS Conference.

Some have also warned about the need to consider health equity with AI. Jennifer Stoll, chief external affairs officer for OCHIN, told Chief Healthcare Executive in a March interview that she’s worried about the possibility of AI leading to greater inequities in healthcare. OCHIN, a nonprofit organization, works with Federally Qualified Health Centers and rural hospitals to improve their technology capabilities.

“This is going to be the greatest challenge with AI,” Stoll said in March. “If not done thoughtfully, it will create a whole unique set of haves and have nots.”

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