Unlocking the Potential of AI in Healthcare: A Strategic Approach for C-suite Professionals

Understanding the impact and potential of AI in healthcare — not just in the future but right now — is a critical step for executive leaders to take. From advancements in diagnostics to accounting tools, healthcare organizations stand to benefit from AI in multiple ways: financially, reputationally, and in terms of patient care. 

C-suite professionals who guide their teams into a positive and open-minded relationship with AI-powered tools could ensure their organizations edge ahead of competitors. 

AI in Healthcare: Where We Are Now

AI is already being used across multiple verticals of the healthcare industry. Machine learning algorithms are helping spot cancer faster, with AI-powered tools helping discover 13% more instances of breast cancer than human eyes alone. Similarly, new brain scan technologies use AI to assess stroke patients. The results show that the AI-powered tools are twice as effective at determining how long ago a stroke occurred. 

Telehealth is utilizing generative AI for chatbots that help patients make better choices about healthcare in the home. And, insurance companies are using AI to help speed up claims, although there are concerns about the possibility of incorrect claim rejection via algorithms that are too stringent. 

Healthcare executives already understand that there is a massive shortfall between the volume of trained medical personnel and the demand for those professionals, and those skill gaps are growing all the time. AI could help fill some of the gaps by automating some processes and streamlining others. Billing and other administrative tasks, in particular, lend themselves to automation. Reducing the need for manual data input could reduce costly errors and free up busy personnel to deal with tasks AI can’t handle. 

Future Potential of AI in Healthcare Developments

As AI develops, it also has the potential to improve patient care in the following ways:

• Reducing triage times

• Increasing face-to-face time with patients

• Speeding up diagnoses

• Ensuring patients see the proper care specialists first

While healthcare professionals are optimistic about the potential outcomes of AI in healthcare, patients are less so. Only 59% of patients believe that AI will help improve healthcare, compared to 79% of those in the healthcare industry. Leaders can close this gap by fostering a culture of transparency about AI solutions and their impacts, thereby showing patients the possibilities of what AI can achieve. 

Research from Microsoft agrees that investing in trustworthy AI tools is vital to inspire confidence in patients. If individuals believe that their data is insecure or that their personal information is being used in an unethical manner, they may quickly opt for alternative providers. Ensuring third-party AI-app developers understand HIPAA and other regulatory requirements is essential, as is communicating these reassurances to patients.

Leading Healthcare Organizations into an AI-Powered Future

For budget-focused leaders, it’s also vital to ensure that short-term AI investment has long-term ROI potential. C-suite members have a responsibility to ensure that their organizations invest in solutions that balance budget and benefits, centering patient outcomes while considering the financial impact. 

CFOs, in particular, face new challenges as it’s tricky to determine the long-term outcome of a relatively new development. Working with other healthcare leaders and creating communities focused on the benefits of AI in healthcare could help address some of these obstacles. Leaders can learn from the mistakes and successes of others and share their own insights, thereby helping to build a stronger overall healthcare system, one that AI bolsters.

Executives also have to overcome the objections of end users. Doctors, nurses, and healthcare administrators who have heard negative news stories about AI may be less than enthusiastic about its adoption. Again, transparency is the key message here. Showing results and statistics from other organizations that have used AI-powered tools is very powerful. For many, positive patient outcomes, such as faster diagnoses or shorter wait times, could be the factors that open their minds to the possibilities AI can offer. 

How TempDev Can Help Healthcare Leaders

With 85% of healthcare leaders planning to invest in AI-powered solutions, you mustn’t get left behind. As more electronic health record (EHR) systems and other digital platforms become AI-focused, sourcing the right partners to maximize the effectiveness of these tools is more essential than ever.

TempDev offers in-depth consultancy services for NextGen EHR and EPM solutions. As these software packages evolve, so do the skills of our team, ensuring they’re ready to support your healthcare organization with project management, revenue cycle management, and workflow redesign. 

To find out more about AI advancements in NextGen software for healthcare and how we can help you leverage its effectiveness, contact us here or by calling 888.TEMP.DEV.