Healthcare leaders worldwide counting on AI to close ‘critical gaps’ in patient care
Healthcare leaders from around the globe are increasingly investing in generative AI. According to Philips’s Future Health Index report for 2024, 85% of 2,800 surveyed leaders across 14 countries are either investing in AI now or planning to do so within three years (link).
Staff lose precious time pulling patient data together
Effective patient care relies on accurate and timely access to data, but healthcare professionals often face significant challenges in accessing disparate data and integrating it into a cohesive patient story. A majority of healthcare leaders (94%) report data integration challenges that impact their ability to provide timely, high-quality care. Consequently, 38% of leaders say staff lose precious time pulling patient data together, leaving less time for patient care.
Increased operational costs due to data inefficiencies and limited coordination between care providers or departments, as well as unnecessary repeat scans and increased risk of errors, are also concerns.
Healthcare leaders see potential to improve patient care through data
Leaders see opportunities to improve patient care by integrating data from disparate sources. They believe data-driven insights could help optimize treatment plans (43%), identify evidence-based practices (37%), and reduce waiting lists for procedures (36%). However, they recognize the need for improved accuracy of patient data (40%), interoperability among platforms (39%), and data security and privacy (38%).
Long-standing challenges in healthcare must be addressed to harness the full potential of data-driven insights for better patient care. External partnerships are seen as crucial.
Healthcare leaders are implementing AI from the hospital to the home
This year’s report shows healthcare leaders have implemented AI for clinical decision support in various hospital areas, including patient monitoring, medication management, and radiology. Expanding AI in remote patient monitoring is a focus for the next three years.
Implementing AI in remote patient monitoring is a key focus for the next three years.
Generative AI adoption in healthcare set to rise within the next three years
Generative AI has gained attention for its potential to unlock new efficiencies and insights from patient data. Our research shows that 85% of healthcare leaders are already investing or plan to invest in generative AI within the next three years. However, there are significant cross-country differences in investment speed.
Cross-country differences in AI adoption speed are consistent with overall differences in AI for clinical decision support.
Responsible use of AI requires appropriate safeguards
While there is excitement about AI’s possibilities, there is also recognition of the need for responsible implementation to avoid unintended consequences. Almost 9 in 10 healthcare leaders are concerned about data bias in AI applications widening health disparities. They emphasize the importance of transparency, interpretability, and continuous training in AI.
Policies for the ethical use of data and AI, achieved through cross-sector collaboration, are essential.
Philips has posted the report in full for free.
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