How 4 Healthcare Stakeholders Rank in Enthusiasm for AI

Optimization through AI technology has long entranced various healthcare industry stakeholders and innovators, but the release of ChatGPT and its generative AI competitors earlier this year has brought AI to the forefront.

Some flashier applications for AI tech have quickly moved through development phases and are gaining inclusion in investment strategies, while others are caught in regulatory red tape, or slowly progressing through R&D to boost various aspects of the healthcare ecosystem. 

The array of applications for AI and its varying stages of maturity across those applications has created an ecosystem where stakeholder groups vary in their desire and/or actual need for AI technology among their toolsets or workflow. As a former surgeon now involved in technology development, I have “ranked” the four main healthcare stakeholders that stand out as the most enthusiastic and in need of applicable AI technology today:

#4 – Patients 

Patients are curious about AI’s potential, and many surveys throughout the past year show a large number of Americans are comfortable with implementing AI for certain tasks, such as reviewing X-rays and setting up appointments. However, there seem to be mixed feelings lately; one survey from JAMA reported that over half of U.S. patients believe AI will make healthcare better, yet a joint survey from Outbreaks Near Me and SurveyMonkey reported 80% of respondents would still prefer human medical professionals for tasks outside of diagnostics.

The doctor-patient relationship will remain paramount. Whether delivering good or bad news, the human element is an integral part of everyone’s healthcare journey, ensuring the patient feels heard and seen by a compassionate care provider. Patients may not experience much AI in-person that isn’t accompanied or led by a real person. 

#3 – Insurers 

Insurance companies have already begun to use AI to save time when issuing prior authorization for high-cost therapies and tests. They see great value in AI applications that further efficiencies around data gathering and confirmations, while shortening the time needed for patients to receive physician-recommended care. 

Prior authorization represents fertile ground for AI disruption. First and foremost, traditional prior authorization can put patients in extreme danger. A Kaiser Health News story from earlier this year cited a patient who died shortly after their insurer denied a potentially life-saving screening. The process also creates a significant burden for physicians, who have hired staff dedicated solely to prior authorization requests and overwhelmingly agree that prior authorization delays patient care.

AI will not act as a panacea for prior authorization and regulators have justly called for oversite into how insurers are implementing it, but it has undeniable potential to increase speed and efficiency. 

#2 – Physicians and Healthcare Professionals

According to the most recent survey from the American Medical Association, over 60% of physicians reported symptoms of burnout by the end of 2021. Additionally, the Association of American Medical Colleges projected the U.S. is facing a physician shortage of up to 124,000 needed physicians by 2034. Additionally, we have an ongoing national shortage of nurses due to accelerating retirements and similar burnout experiences, which continues to impact healthcare staffing and patient load across the U.S.

Healthcare professionals have long sought and experimented with various tools to improve clinical efficiency, and AI took the spotlight this year as “the one to watch” to ease their collective burnout. For example, there are already numerous speech-to-text solutions and natural language processors in use, and in development, that can integrate into EHRs to alleviate note taking during and after patient visits. They allow for more authentic face-to-face interactions between patients and physicians and can strengthen relationships between the patient and their doctor. Other areas of interest for physicians include improved EHR efficiency and even automated marketing tools for those who own their own practices. 

#1 – Clinical Administrators

Clinical administrators stand to benefit significantly from AI and seem to be the most actively engaged in exploring applications for their clinics. 

Scheduling and reminder messaging, payment paperwork, and general opportunities to touch base with patients on their care plans are just a few of the daily time-consuming tasks that administrators can delegate to reliable AI tools to both keep their clinic schedules filled and workflows running smoothly. 

Applying AI to administrative tasks has much larger implications than simply saving time. Research from McKinsey & Company suggests automation, analytics and generative AI could help to save billions of dollars in the Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) process. Furthermore, automating processes for scheduling and reminders with AI leave phone lines open and administrators available to assist with any urgent requests and bigger picture operations to improve clinical efficiency and grow the business. 

Who should expect more AI?

All in all, it’s clear that AI will increase efficiencies across the board, and may soon become a standard technology supporting physicians. The area most rich with opportunities is centered around administrative uses and it is driving significant investment, tool development, and testing for AI in healthcare. Clinical administrators and similar professionals can expect to see more AI tools and upgrades coming out to support their roles in the future, followed by physicians receiving more tools to assist in daily patient engagement.