Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been a focal point at this year’s ViVE conference, hosted in Los Angeles. Despite the enthusiasm surrounding the technology, it has yet to make significant strides in resolving pressing issues in healthcare, such as clinical burnout or the sector’s dire lack of workforce. Experts at the conference suggested that health systems have not seen substantial return on investment (ROI) from their AI initiatives, primarily due to the technology’s ongoing development phase.
This situation is anticipated to shift within the next few years, according to Brendan Carr, CEO of Mount Sinai. In an interview at ViVE, Carr explained his conceptual model for approaching healthcare AI. He conceptualizes it as a 2×2 grid comprising administrative and clinical benefits for both patients and providers.
Carr identified a series of low-risk administrative AI applications that can be advantageous for patients. These include tools reminding patients to schedule screenings, offering diet advice or encouraging increased physical activity. Although administrative AI applications that aid clinicians’ workflows appear promising, they present more complexities.
For instance, Carr emphasized the stressful impact of the EHR inbox on clinicians. While AI could potentially alleviate this pressure, automation of essential tasks such as medical advice provision and imaging study interpretation is a challenging prospect requiring careful human oversight. According to Carr, while AI is increasingly used to streamline physicians’ EHR experience, it has not fully automated processes, like advising on medical treatments or reviewing studies. For these tasks, human involvement remains critical.
From Carr’s perspective, the clinical deployment of AI is the riskiest venture. Issues arise when AI begins to make clinical decisions, diagnoses, or recommends treatment pathways. Due to these concerns, extreme caution is warranted in this area.
Despite these challenges, Carr expressed confidence that health systems are only a few years away from realizing substantial ROI from their AI implementations. He predicts that radiology will be the first clinical field to observe notable improvements in AI-related ROI.
For the full context and detailed insights, the original article can be viewed at MedCity News.