Dive Brief:
Healthcare professionals think generative artificial intelligence could help solve workforce and burnout challenges facing the sector, but many organizations aren’t ready to fully implement the technology, according to a survey by information services firm Wolters Kluwer.
Only 18% of respondents knew about formal policies at their healthcare organizations on overseeing generative AI, and just 20% said staff were required to take a structured training course, according to the report.
Plus, only 45% of respondents reported their workplaces were ready to address ethical concerns around generative AI use, and only 42% were prepared to adapt to potential regulations around monitoring the performance of their AI tools.
Dive Insight:
Generative AI, which can create new content like text or images, could be a major time saver for the healthcare sector, helping clinicians document patient care, sift through clinical data and help with administrative work, proponents say.
For example, 67% of healthcare workers think generative AI tools are likely to help solve burdens associated with prior authorization, where providers need to request permission from insurers before offering certain services, according to the Wolters Kluwer survey.
Additionally, more than 60% said the technology could be helpful for electronic health record management — another source of significant administrative work for clinicians — and nearly 70% reported the AI tools could help with cybersecurity preparedness, a major challenge for a sector facing a growing threat of cyberattacks.
Healthcare professionals use generative AI at home more than at work
Percent of respondents who reported how frequently they use generative AI tools
However, healthcare professionals said many organizations aren’t fully prepared to adopt generative AI tools, according to the report. While 85% of nurses said recruiting and retaining nursing staff is a top priority, only 57% said their organizations are ready to use the technology to help solve the problem.
Many workers aren’t using the technology at their jobs either — even if they have adopted AI at home. More than half said they use generative AI at least once a week in their personal lives, while 40% reported they’d never used it for their work.
“To successfully integrate GenAI, organizations must recognize its current limitations, as well as anticipate its realistic evolution and the regulatory landscape,” Peter Bonis, chief medical officer at Wolters Kluwer Health, said in a statement. “Establishing robust and ongoing governance will be essential to succeed.”
However, healthcare organizations aren’t likely to receive much guidance from the Trump administration on implementing AI, experts say.
Shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump rescinded a sweeping executive order signed by former President Joe Biden that managed the federal government’s approach to safely deploying artificial intelligence tools in healthcare.
Plus, the reconciliation bill currently under consideration in Congress would ban states from enforcing any laws or regulations related to AI for 10 years.
