There is much variation across the country in terms of how far along health systems are in their AI deployment journey. Some hospitals remain in cautious experimentation mode, while others have begun scaling tools across multiple clinical and operational settings, noted Andy Crowder, Chief Digital Officer at Advocate Health. Advocate, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, among the health systems advancing to scaling phase, operates 69 hospitals across six states.
“We have over 15,000 users engaging with either an AI assistant, ambient listening, or predictive analytics at scale today, and we’re the largest ambient listening deployment for Microsoft DAX,” he stated.
This commitment to AI has yielded several benefits for Advocate Health, according to Crowder, which include:
Reduced Clinician Burnout
AI tools, like ambient listening models and tools extracting insights from EHR data, are diminishing cognitive burden and stress among clinicians. Automation of documentation allows providers to concentrate on patient care.
“An average nurse spends four and a half to five hours a day documenting. What if we could reduce that to one hour? Our AI tools listen and complete the documentation for them,” explained Crowder.
As a result, clinicians are experiencing enhanced job satisfaction, as they now focus more on patient care rather than administrative tasks.
Better Staff Retention
The correlation between job satisfaction and staff retention is clear. Crowder highlighted the role of AI-driven solutions in reducing burnout and supporting staff morale, leading to a decline in turnover rates.
The turnover rate among nurses utilizing the platform fell from 13% to 3%. “Healthcare systems that effectively implement AI will have happier employees and become a destination for job seekers,” he asserted.
Clinical Improvements
With tools like Artisight’s platform monitoring adverse events, patient outcomes are improving as clinicians can intervene promptly. This technology is also lessening unnecessary interventions, thus creating a more efficient working environment.
Enhancing Patient Experience
Crowder recalled meeting a 73-year-old patient who felt comfortable leaving his father alone in the hospital due to the virtual nursing technology in use. Improved communication through AI leads to higher patient satisfaction.
Cost Savings
Advocate’s AI tools are generating cost savings by avoiding unnecessary patient interventions and decreasing labor hours related to documentation. Crowder anticipates that these savings will continue to rise, allowing clinicians to manage more patients efficiently.
As AI technology continues to advance, its implementation within healthcare seems poised to not only change operations but fundamentally enhance the overall patient care experience.
