8 Steps to Position Your Health System for AI Success
Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an integral part of clinical and administrative processes in health care. With nearly two-thirds of physicians using health care AI in 2024—a 78% increase from the previous year—it’s clear that AI adoption is accelerating. However, integrating AI without adding burdens on clinicians requires a thoughtful approach.
To help health systems implement AI safely and effectively, a new toolkit outlines eight practical steps for establishing governance frameworks. These steps ensure that AI tools support patient care and reduce physician workload while addressing ethical, privacy, and safety concerns.
Why AI Governance Matters
AI can assist with summarizing medical notes, supporting diagnosis, and predicting patient risks. It holds promise for improving diagnostic accuracy, personalizing treatments, and reducing documentation time. Yet, there are risks—such as bias, privacy issues, liability, and incorrect outputs—that must be managed.
Effective governance helps health systems:
- Identify and deploy appropriate AI tools.
- Assess and mitigate risks consistently.
- Maintain clear documentation.
- Ensure continuous oversight and safety.
- Reduce physician burnout.
- Encourage collaboration across departments.
The 8 Steps to Establish AI Governance
- Establish executive accountability and a governance structure. Leadership commitment, especially from the CEO and board, is essential. Define who oversees AI initiatives and how decisions are made.
- Form a working group to set priorities, processes, and policies. Include representatives from clinical, technical, legal, and administrative areas to guide AI strategy and policy development.
- Assess the current state and define priorities. Take stock of AI tools already in use and create a framework for prioritizing future AI projects based on organizational needs.
- Develop AI policies. Draft policies that cover safe and ethical AI use, with clear guidelines. Review existing policies to identify updates or cross-references needed.
- Define project intake, vendor evaluation, and assessment processes. Standardize how AI tools are proposed, evaluated, and selected to ensure safety and avoid duplication.
- Update planning and implementation processes. Coordinate with technology committees and project managers to incorporate AI-specific considerations into existing workflows.
- Establish oversight and monitoring. Set up ongoing reviews to verify AI tools perform as expected and to identify any emerging risks.
- Support organizational readiness. Engage stakeholders across the health system to prepare workflows and staff for new AI tools.
Moving Beyond Governance
Alongside governance, advocacy focuses on key issues such as AI oversight, transparency, liability, data privacy, and payer use of AI in decision-making. These areas require clear principles to ensure AI benefits both clinicians and patients.
For those looking to deepen their knowledge on AI applications in health care, consider exploring targeted educational resources. For example, Complete AI Training offers courses tailored for healthcare professionals to build practical skills in AI technology and its safe use.
Implementing AI thoughtfully requires deliberate governance and preparation. By following these eight steps, health systems can integrate AI tools in ways that enhance care, protect patients, and support clinicians.
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