Optum's fourth annual survey on artificial intelligence in healthcare finds that nearly every executive either has an AI strategy or is planning one, and almost half are already using AI technology.
A new survey from health insurer Optum finds that almost half of healthcare executive respondents are using artificial intelligence, while roughly 85% say they have a strategy in place.
The Optum Survey on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Health Care, the fourth annual installment from the UnitedHealth Group business unit, found that 98 percent of the 500 senior healthcare industry executives surveyed either have an AI strategy or are planning one, and 96% believe AI will play an important role in targeting health equity.
How they’re using AI is a different matter. Some 72% of respondents say they trust AI to support administrative processes that would otherwise be handled by clinicians, thereby allowing providers to spend more time on patients and patient care. When asked about using AI in clinical care, 41% said they were excited about the potential for AI in virtual patient care, while 40% saw a future in diagnoses and predicting outcomes and 36% saw potential in medical image interpretation.
“This year’s survey findings continue to validate how the responsible use of AI can help health systems strengthen and scale essential functions and reduce administrative burdens, all of which helps clinicians focus on their core mission of patient care,” Rick Hardy, chief executive officer of Optum Insight, the data and analytics business within Optum, said in a press release. “We share their enthusiasm for AI, but more importantly, we look forward to combining our healthcare expertise with AI to help people — patients, physicians, and those working behind the scenes — as that is where the real value is delivered.”
Optum officials said this year’s results show a continuing upward trend among healthcare executives in using machine learning technology and considering its potential. But they also say they can’t implement the technology without the right assistance: Almost 90% say they need help from a health services company with expertise in data and analytics, rather than going with a tech-focused partner.
They’ll need that expertise. The survey found that healthcare organizations aren’t quite sure who should manage AI strategy. Some 57% delegate that responsibility to the IT department, while data and analytics (56%) and strategy (55%) aren’t far behind. This confusion, the survey notes, “can result in a patchwork system between those who build models and those who use outputs and interact with patients.”
They’re also mindful of the challenges in replacing manual decision-making with machine learning. Some 94% of those surveyed said they have a duty with the healthcare industry to make sure AI is used right.
“The responsible use of AI continues to provide important opportunities for healthcare leaders to streamline administrative processes and provide more effective patient care with enhanced experiences for both patients and providers,” Steve Griffiths, senior vice president of data and analytics at Optum Labs, the research and development arm of UnitedHealth Group, said in the press release. “These leaders are not just users of AI, but they have an opportunity to be looked to as role models across industries in their commitment to using AI responsibly.”
As always, one of the biggest challenges to AI is that it might be used to replace people, but healthcare executives see things differently. According to the survey, some 55% believe AI will create new work opportunities, compared to 45% who think it will reduce opportunities.
And some are wondering when their return on investment in AI will pay off. While almost 60% expected a positive ROI within three years in last year’s survey, just 42% are expecting that this year, a sign that the technology isn’t yet producing the results needed to justify investment. Roughly 30% now expect a positive ROI within five years, up from 19% in last year’s poll, and 27% aren’t looking to break even until at least five years, up from 18%.
That said, Optum executives point out that the average amount of time predicted to reach a positive ROI is the same as last year – four years – and that’s better than the five years predicted in 2019.
Eric Wicklund is the associate content manager and senior editor for Innovation, Technology, and Pharma for HealthLeaders.