Generative AI is making significant strides in the healthcare sector. Rich Birhanzel, Accenture’s global health industry lead, discusses the transformative potential of generative AI in healthcare. Here are the key points:
Harmonizing Humans and Machines: The healthcare industry has seen a surge in technological advancements that have doubled life expectancy over the past century. The challenge now is to harmonize the way humans and machines collaborate. The primary concern in global healthcare is patient access due to a shortage of physicians and nurses. Generative AI can help address this by reducing administrative burdens, allowing healthcare professionals to focus more on patient care.
Generative AI’s Potential: Research by Accenture indicates that 98% of healthcare providers and 89% of healthcare payer executives believe generative AI is ushering in a new era of enterprise intelligence. Generative AI can automate tasks like clinical documentation, translating complex medical language into easily understandable summaries for patients, and more.
Best Practices for Implementing Generative AI:
- Prepare the Digital Foundation: Ensure that the digital foundation, including foundational systems and cloud-based data, is ready. The data used by AI models must be accurate, sourced correctly, and safeguarded.
- Establish Controls for AI: Start with small-scale experimentation to understand the potential impacts and risks. Any AI system used in a clinical setting must undergo rigorous testing and validation to ensure it meets safety and efficacy standards.
- Harmonize Technology with People: AI should be viewed as a tool to assist humans, not replace them. The focus should be on harmonizing technology with human tasks to enhance the experience for clinicians and improve patient outcomes.