Famous artificial intelligence (AI) errors, such as a Google search recommendation to put glue on a pizza, may cause a smile. However, when AI is mentioned in conjunction with healthcare, the stakes become serious — quickly since ‘hallucinations’ are not an option in healthcare!
AI is infiltrating healthcare from both clinical and operational angles. Estimates show the global AI healthcare market is expected to grow by 1,600% during the decade, from $11.06 billion in 2021 to nearly $188 billion by 2030.
A 2023 survey indicates that two-thirds of health systems plan to launch AI pilots or projects over the next two years, with only 8% having no plans to explore AI.
Overwhelming Support for AI Projects
People in the United States generally hold a positive opinion on the future of AI in healthcare. A 2023 survey showed that 51% believe AI will drive significant progress and innovation over the coming year, and over 60% have positive thoughts about AI’s ability to efficiently diagnose health conditions. Two-thirds believe technology can reduce barriers to care, with 56% pointing to AI as the solution.
However, participants are aware that significant challenges remain, including 80% who say there is a lack of evidence that AI improves health outcomes and 83% who point to the potential for mistakes.
Accurate Patient Matching Key to AI Success
Healthcare systems possess an incredible amount of data that dates back decades. To be truly useful, several data challenges must be solved, including the prevalence of duplicate records, which can approach 10% in single hospitals and rise to over 20% in health systems with multiple facilities. A robust MDM-enabled Identity Data Management platform can take nearly all the guesswork out of patient matching.
Data cleansing and normalization are also critical. Hospital systems often have multiple EHR vendors, leading to compatibility issues. The normalization process maps one set of data to another, creating actionable relationships.
Solving Patient Identity Issues Can Tame the AI ‘Wild West’
With past technological advances, healthcare has been cautious. However, with AI, healthcare is moving faster than ever. The landscape can feel like the AI Wild West, with many organizations looking to add AI capabilities. Significant issues remain to be solved, including identity resolution and data normalization.
Despite these challenges, the benefits of deploying AI in healthcare are numerous, including freeing up clinician time, diagnosing patients earlier, and streamlining care delivery. Addressing issues with robust and accurate patient matching can establish a stronger foundation for AI success.
About Avi Mukherjee
Avi Mukherjee is the Chief Product and Technology Officer (CPO) at Verato, leading the company’s product and engineering teams. He has a background in building cloud companies for healthcare.
About Andy Dé
Andy Dé is the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Verato, driving the growth and market expansion of Verato’s healthcare identity solutions.
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