Healthcare organizations are embracing AI as a transformative tool in clinical care, but they’ve seen few successes so far. How long will it take to get the formula right?
As healthcare organizations integrate AI into clinical care, executives are balancing the need to give their clinicians support in care management and coordination with a proper understanding of AI governance. And they’re starting to voice concerns about relying too much on AI.
Our most recent AI in Clinical Care Mastermind underwent a metamorphosis. The program, which began with a handful of CIOs and Chief AI Officers in 2024, now includes Chief Medical Officers, who are closer to the front lines where the technology is being introduced. As a result, roughly 15 health systems took part in the program, which culminated in the fall forum alongside the HealthLeaders CMO Exchange in Park City, Utah.
The main pressure point among the group? The potential negative effect of AI.
"Where is the critical thinking?" asked Michael Fiorina, MD, CMO for the Independence Health System.
It's a question that's likely to influence how AI is integrated into education and training for the next generation of doctors and nurses, as well as governance protocols at health systems and hospitals. But it won't slow down AI tool adoption.
Indeed, from agentic AI tools, including bots, to ambient AI platforms for both doctors and nurses, the technology is rapidly working its way into inpatient care. Many healthcare organizations are partnering with vendors to develop new programs, but they're also working on their own tools with an eye toward monetizing AI, helping smaller hospitals take advantage of the technology, and addressing concerns about data security.
"We believe that the real transformative potential of AI will come from integrated, systemwide adoption," says Bill Sheahan, SVP and Chief Innovation Officer at MedStar Health and executive director of the MedStar Institute for Innovation. "Much like the building of a new hospital within a health system, the long-term impact of AI across our health system will be measured in patient outcomes and margins, not millions."
They're also preparing for a world in which the patient, enabled by consumer-facing AI tools, will be a more active participant in clinical care.
Click here to read the full report on how executives from more than a dozen health systems and hospitals across the country view the AI landscape.
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This report was written and reviewed by multiple HealthLeaders editors.