We have a responsibility to leverage the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve healthcare for all. It’s up to all of us to realize that potential.
Peter Pronovost, M.D., Ph.D., FCCM
Chief Clinical Transformation and Quality Officer, University Hospitals
Jim Weinstein, D.O., M.S.
Vice President, Microsoft Research
By now, we’re all familiar with how ChatGPT can generate an answer to virtually any question, or how an “ambient listening” bot can create a detailed summary of a Zoom call. But what if the amazing ability of AI could be harnessed to do something far more consequential? Could it instead help create easier access to the healthcare we all want and need, as well as improve the quality of that care?
In fact, it’s already happening. AI and the can-do spirit of human agency are two powerful tools to help us achieve this goal. They have the potential to transform the healthcare we receive every day, making it more accessible, efficient, transparent, and patient-focused.
The promise of AI in healthcare
AI can improve patient access and experience, scientific discovery, and patient outcomes. From a patient scheduling an appointment more efficiently to a provider analyzing “big data” to identify disease patterns, predict patient outcomes, and prescribe personalized treatment, AI has the potential to enhance satisfaction for all of us as consumers of healthcare, while also helping providers in their decision-making processes.
AI also promises to reduce errors in diagnosing and treating conditions, which all of us want, offering caregivers crucial support. When tested, Reasoning AI performed with remarkable accuracy in making an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan. However, it is important to note that AI serves as a supportive tool, assisting physicians in making well-informed decisions and enhancing patient care. It can also allow providers to gauge the quality of the care they’re providing with metrics reported in real time — not years later. Those quality outcomes matter a great deal to both patients and the providers who treat them.
Balancing AI and agency
However, while AI technology holds great promise for improving healthcare, our attitudes and abilities must also play a crucial role in creating change. Agency in this context refers to the ability of patients and providers to take control of the healthcare journey. In practical terms, this means that we, as empowered patients, are actively managing our health data, enabling us to make informed choices about our care. For providers, agency means having the necessary tools and information to deliver high-quality care.
The future of healthcare lies in seamlessly integrating both AI and agency. It will require healthcare systems to invest in both infrastructure and people. It will also require a forward-looking attitude from all of us. At our institutions, for example, we’re promoting AI to all employees so they can understand the basics and seek to use it to better serve patients. The goal is a system that is more efficient, equitable, transparent, and patient-centered.
