The year ahead in healthcare tech – the importance of humans in AI-enhanced decision-making

Successful AI will be an aid to human-centered decision-making

“While [generative AI] and machine learning are revolutionizing healthcare, it’s important to remember that no innovation will happen without a human’s involvement in clinical decision-making,” says Greg Samios, president and CEO of the Clinical Effectiveness business at Wolters Kluwer, Health. “The trust and expertise of healthcare professionals are not just invaluable and irreplaceable, they are the very foundation on which GenAI integration in healthcare stands. Their involvement builds patient trust.”

An essential part of building trust in the quality of AI-powered decision support is being transparent about its sourcing, explains Yaw Fellin, Vice President, Product and Solutions, for Clinical Effectiveness at Wolters Kluwer, Health. Like any traditional clinical decision support solution, transparency of the evidence is what sets responsible clinical AI solutions apart from open-source AI and allows healthcare professionals to confidently use the tool effectively in their practice and in how they communicate with patients.

Despite overall optimism about the future of AI, the need for professional oversight of AI-enhanced clinical tools and transparency in sourcing is echoed and affirmed in recent surveys:

• 91% of U.S. physicians want to know clinical AI is sourced from medical experts.
• 86% of U.S. patients are worried about where the content in clinical AI comes from.

“To me, trust in healthcare is the outgrowth of high quality,” Fellin says. “The question for a lot of these new technologies that will ultimately be reflected in how people trust them is: What's the quality of the output?”

Examining AI’s role in care delivery

Challenges related to the quality and transparency of AI-generated clinical information are top of mind for Dr. Sheila Bond, Director of Clinical Content Strategy for UpToDate®, and Dr. Dick Taylor, Chief Clinical Informatics Officer at BJC Healthcare and Washington University in St. Louis. Both have been working on overcoming these challenges and finding ways to unlock the full potential of AI in care delivery.

The pair will be speaking at the HLTH 2024 healthcare conference on the topic of “Generative AI: How care delivery got left behind.” They will be posing the questions:

• What does it look like when we use these technologies correctly?
• Will the value outweigh the cost?

Looking ahead: Healthcare workflow efficiency, payer data, consumer education

In addition to an emphasis on responsible development of AI that is used as clinical decision-making support, the HLTH 2024 conference promises to deliver insight and discovery on some of the most important topics shaping the healthcare industry today and likely to have impact well into the coming year.

Workflow efficiency and self-service tools

Workflow efficiency is a focus for organizations across the healthcare ecosystem – and tying back to the current starring role being played by AI – everyone is looking for new and more ways to streamline processes for both professionals and patients/consumers. On-demand analytics, in-workflow data access that maximizes use of the EHR, content as a service, and portals that empower personalized healthcare journeys will be essential to organizational goals moving forward.

System alignment

Leveraging technology and data to help promote aligned strategies throughout an organization is never an easy feat, especially in the case of payers, which have to standardize evidence and technology to bridge the value gap by aligning their often-siloed medical and drug benefits teams.

Supporting consumer-driven healthcare

As consumers continue to become more discerning about their healthcare needs, providers and developers need to prioritize consumer-led, personalized healthcare journeys that meet patients’ health and wellness needs.

Virtual patient engagement, digital consumer education, and the ability for both professionals and consumers to seamlessly personalize the wellness journey help improve the patient experience. Consumer-driven healthcare and digital health education content help enhance overall outcomes and consumer satisfaction, as well supporting sustainability and health equity initiatives.

To find out the latest about these initiatives and more, visit Wolters Kluwer booth 3219 at HLTH 2024.