The next breakthrough in healthcare technology isn’t another new interface—it’s no interface at all.
For decades, physicians have battled screens that stole their attention. AI now offers the chance to make those screens disappear. Sanjeev Kumar, PhD, chief data and analytics officer at NextGen Healthcare, says the real opportunity is in making technology “fade into the background” so physicians can focus fully on the patient in front of them.
“Instead of forcing providers to adapt to yet another set of screens and clicks, AI can listen, understand context, and act in real time,” he explains. Kumar believes that this shift goes beyond efficiency to restore a critical element of healthcare that has been eroded by technology. “AI doesn’t replace the human connection, it restores it,” he says. “It takes on the administrative and cognitive overhead so providers can be fully present.”
In this conversation, Kumar shares where he sees AI’s most meaningful impact: reimagining the very idea of a user interface in healthcare, transforming how providers engage with patients, and serving as a co-pilot in clinical decision-making. He also outlines how organizations can approach ROI in ways that reflect AI’s unique ability to learn and deliver value over time.
Q: NextGen Healthcare has coined the term “The new UI is no UI™.” What do you mean by that, and how does AI accelerate that vision?
Kumar: The idea is about making healthcare technology invisible. It’s a fundamental shift in how we interact with technology within healthcare. Historically, providers have had to split their attention between patients and screens, clicking through menus, filters, and tabs, creating distractions. Even the best-designed interface still steals eye contact, interrupts the conversation and adds cognitive load. The no-UI vision is about removing that friction entirely, letting technology fade into the background so the interaction is purely patient and provider.
AI accelerates this by becoming the intelligent participant in the room. It listens to the conversation, generates structured documentation instantly, queues up the right orders, and pulls up relevant labs or guidelines, like a smart colleague reinforcing what you’re doing. The result is care that feels more human because the technology works invisibly in the background. In the future, I envision AI generating the right UI for the right purpose, such as a heads-up display when you need information quickly. But the core idea is the same: getting back to medicine as a face-to-face, human-centered practice that only AI can enable and scale.
Q: How is AI changing the patient-provider dynamic?
Kumar: For years, providers have been tethered to keyboards and screens. AI is starting to restore something that’s been lost in healthcare—presence. It gives time back by automating documentation, summarizing records, and pre-filling orders so providers spend less time typing and more time listening. Second, it makes visits more personal by quietly bringing forward the right information based on the patient’s background so the provider stays engaged in the conversation. Third, generative AI can translate medical jargon into plain language, providing more nuanced information and helping patients ask more informed questions when they visit their physician. As more seamless AI-driven tools enter the market, the patient-provider dynamic will strengthen, enabling physicians to deliver better outcomes.
Q: What do you think is the appropriate role of AI in clinical decision-making?
Kumar: I always say AI should be a co-pilot, not a captain. Clinical decisions are complex and context-rich—they’re rooted in a patient’s history, values, social circumstances, and even offhand comments that only a human can interpret. AI can’t replace that human synthesis. But it can play the role of a tireless assistant, surfacing the right information, offering evidence-based options, and reducing cognitive load.
The key is augmentation, not substitution. Providers remain accountable for final judgment, but AI can enhance speed, accuracy, and comprehensiveness. Guardrails matter, too. Recommendations must be explainable, auditable, and paired with clear confidence levels. When done right, AI is supportive and always ready with insights that help you think through the case. But it should never make the call for you.
Q: How can healthcare organizations ensure they are applying AI where it will have the best ROI?
Kumar: One terrible way to apply AI is just because it’s trendy. That wastes time, money, and resources. The right approach is to start with the real problems, not the technology. Identify the biggest drains on clinician time, patient satisfaction, or operational efficiency, such as administrative burden, appointment no-shows, care coordination gaps, or diagnosis delays.
Then, prioritize high-impact cases where you can track measurable outcomes, whether that’s reduced documentation time, improved patient throughput, or fewer readmissions. It’s also essential to engage clinicians early and build AI into their existing workflows. If providers have to fight to use the tool, your ROI disappears.
Scalability and interoperability are key, too. Point solutions that can’t connect to your EHR or grow beyond one department won’t deliver sustainable value. And finally, measure continuously. ROI isn’t a one-time calculation. AI learns over time and gets better, so keep tracking performance and pivot when something isn’t working. At the end of the day, the biggest ROI comes when AI meaningfully improves patient outcomes, reduces costs, or frees up clinical capacity—ideally all three at once.