Mercy health system is adopting product development practices used by large technology companies to build AI tools for connected care experiences, said Lina Scroggins, the organization's chief product officer. The shift moves the health system away from traditional project management toward methods that emphasize rapid iteration and user feedback.
Instead of long development cycles with fixed requirements, teams will test early versions of software with clinicians and patients. The goal is to refine tools continuously based on real-world use, a model common at firms like Google and Amazon. This approach treats internal and patient-facing applications as products that evolve, not one-time IT projects.
From waterfall to iterative development
Large tech companies have spent decades refining product development frameworks that prioritize shipping early, measuring outcomes, and adjusting quickly. These principles contrast with the waterfall method still prevalent in many healthcare IT departments, where requirements are locked in at the start and changes come slowly.
By adopting a product mindset, Mercy aims to shorten the time between idea and deployment. Teams will work in cross-functional groups that include engineers, designers, and clinical staff. The structure encourages shared ownership and faster decision-making, Scroggins said.
Building AI tools with user feedback
AI applications in healthcare often struggle to gain adoption because they don't fit into clinical workflows. Mercy's product development shift is designed to address that gap. Developers will observe how staff interact with prototypes and use that data to improve the tools before wide release.
The health system plans to apply these methods to tools that coordinate patient appointments, surface relevant medical histories, and automate routine documentation. The work draws on AI for Product Development techniques that tie technical decisions directly to user behavior.
Product managers leading these efforts will need to blend clinical domain knowledge with modern development practices. An AI Learning Path for Product Managers offers structured training for those moving into this hybrid role.
Why this matters for IT and development professionals
Healthcare IT teams that continue to rely on rigid, multi-year project plans will struggle to keep pace with organizations adopting iterative methods. Developers and architects in these settings will be expected to work in short cycles, interpret user data, and release updates frequently. Familiarity with product management tools and AI development workflows is becoming a baseline requirement, not a specialty. Professionals who build those skills now will be better positioned as more health systems follow Mercy's lead.
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