7 key things physicians want from AI

Alexander Podgornyy: ©IT Medical

Health care AI is gaining more and more supporters across medical institutions of all sizes, thanks to AI’s promise to reduce admin burden, improve patient outcomes, and save costs. This article aims to examine the benefits of AI that physicians truly seek. Understanding pain points that physicians want to solve with AI will help C-level decision-makers choose the right AI-powered solutions for the clinical setting and will help get clinicians on board when introducing new technologies in health care institutions.

Data Analysis and Actionable Insights

One of the unmatched benefits of AI is its ability to analyze and make sense of large quantities of data. Physicians would really benefit from the analysis of clinical and administrative data, helping them to make better decisions and spend more quality time with patients. Physicians’ high workload contributes to decision fatigue, leading to burnout and poorer patient outcomes, so the key would be automating the data analysis. Moreover, AI in seconds can analyze medical publications and journals, helping physicians to make concussions faster. According to a survey, 64% of physicians see potential in data and medical literature analysis.

Relief from Administrative Burden

EHRs are a great tool to keep information in one place and for coordination. However, this technological tool has taken away what was previously so cherished—a real human contact. Many patients felt “unseen” during their appointments as their doctors were busy looking at the computer screen, making notes. Moreover, physicians also feel missing out without truly looking their patients in the eyes. The admin load that clinicians have to perform every week can take up to 28 hours per week, contributing to burnout, which stands at an astonishing 90%. Hence, using AI in reducing the admin burden, including the medical scribes, leads to a lower burnout rate.

Improved Diagnostic Accuracy

Another key area that clinicians are considering and have an interest in is assistance with reading the medical imaging and help with diagnosing. Over 60% of physicians either already use or are considering adopting AI in this field. Advances in AI-driven analysis of medical imaging helps with patient stratification, particularly in areas like oncology. These systems also prevent false alarms, which can inappropriately occupy clinical resources.

More Time for Meaningful Patient Relationships

The time physicians spend with their patients has declined. On average, primary care physicians in the U.S. spend less than 17 minutes interacting with their patients. Furthermore, they spend twice as much time working at their desk doing admin tasks, a so-called pajama time, rather than spending time with patients. By offloading logistical burdens, AI enables clinicians to focus on preventive care and build stronger patient connections. For example, 57% agree it enhances preventive capacity thanks to earlier diagnoses and extended capacity to monitor symptoms. The paradox is that AI is not removing the “human touch” as previously feared, but, on the contrary, is enabling health care professionals to build meaningful relationships.

AI Complementing Physicians’ Professional Capabilities

Clinicians emphasize that AI should enhance their decision-making, be a trusted partner, rather than replacing their professional expertise. The survey underscores AI as a partner in care, making clinicians “smarter, with fewer errors.” Moreover, clinicians shared that in the case of medical imaging, AI together with human make better conclusions than AI or humans alone. Therefore, in this case, it is important to build a meaningful collaboration between AI assistants and medical staff.

Patient Scheduling and Workflow Automation

AI must seamlessly integrate into existing workflows and support health care delivery, rather than operating in isolation. AI’s role in scheduling patient appointments would result in not only saving time, reducing stress from reschedules and cancellations, but also saving costs, as patient no-shows result in $200 loss per hour. Physicians will gain back the time to direct it to patient care and will be allowed to increase their profitability.

Tools to Improve Patient Communication

A visit to the doctor’s office is not always what patients need; sometimes it is better to communicate with the health care provider online from the comfort of the patient's home. It is especially relevant for patients with chronic diseases, who may get immediate advice via an AI-powered chatbot. The tool can help patients address urgent worries and recommend visiting the physician in person when needed. This not only helps patients get peace of mind quicker, but also alleviates clinicians’ workload.

Additionally, some patients after treatment are headed home with some heavy medications that require careful post-treatment adherence and the right dosing. An AI-powered assistant can help answer queries regarding the medication, send reminders to take them, and help maintain the right dosage. This kind of AI helps patients to recover faster and maximizes the treatment outcomes.

Considerations of AI implementation in health care

While the benefits sound appealing, it is important to remember that AI in health care requires careful implementation, as it is handling sensitive data. Therefore, the solutions that are integrated within the clinical setting must adhere to the strict HIPAA standards. To avoid health care-specific data vulnerabilities and integration challenges, it is vital to choose an AI developer who has deep expertise within the medical sector.

Alexander Podgornyy is the Founder and Managing Director of IT Medical, a custom software and AI-powered solutions developer exclusively for the health care sector. Alexander has over a decade of experience in software development and product engineering with a deep background in health care IT and the cybersecurity protocols that help achieve superior productivity within medical institutions of any size without compromising on data safety and privacy.