The Top AI Use Cases in the Healthcare Industry Highlighted in New Research From Info-Tech Research Group

Info-Tech's latest research highlights how technology leaders in the healthcare industry can strategically and responsibly implement artificial intelligence to improve operational efficiency and patient outcomes in the digital age.

TORONTO, July 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more mainstream and pervasive in an increasing number of industries, Info-Tech Research Group is advising that IT teams within healthcare organizations approach AI adoption strategically and responsibly. The firm's recommendations, outlined in a new research blueprint, Discover AI Use Cases in Healthcare, include clearly understanding the specific use cases and benefits of AI and creating a plan to address the challenges associated with implementation and ongoing use.

Adopting any new technology requires a strategic approach and alignment between IT and healthcare leaders, but many healthcare leaders have a limited understanding of the benefits of AI or its organizational impacts. The latest resource from the IT research and advisory firm addresses these issues to help healthcare organizations effectively invest in AI technology in a way that will foster innovation and improve operational efficiency and patient outcomes.

"The potential of artificial intelligence in healthcare is significant, and health organizations should consider leveraging AI to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs," says Sharon Auma-Ebanyat, research director at Info-Tech Research Group. "AI can be used for various purposes, including diagnosis and treatment, drug development, remote patient monitoring, and predictive analytics. By analyzing medical data, AI can help healthcare providers make more accurate diagnoses, develop more effective treatment plans, and monitor patients more effectively."

AI and automation are related concepts that are often used interchangeably, but the firm cautions that the terms are distinct from each other. Automation refers to the use of technology to perform routine, repetitive tasks without human intervention, such as data entry, data processing, and other rule-based tasks. Robotic process automation (RPA) is a type of automation that uses software robots to automate these tasks.

AI involves the development of computer systems that can perform tasks that would typically require human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, perception, and problem-solving. While automation and AI are distinct concepts, they can be used together to create more efficient and effective systems. For example, RPA can be used to automate routine tasks, while AI can be used to analyze data and make predictions or decisions based on that data.

This combination of automation and AI can lead to significant productivity gains, cost savings, and improved outcomes in many industries, including healthcare.

"RPA is typically the most feared application of automation in healthcare due to the assumption that by automating tasks, computers will replace humans in their jobs," explains Auma-Ebanyat. "However, it must be stressed that implementing RPA technologies can lead to enhanced job creation, as seen with all disruptive technologies. It can also provide more value to existing jobs. Given the current healthcare staffing shortages and burnout, automation can reduce the administrative burden, and staff can be repurposed to focus on complex aspects of their work."

Info-Tech's blueprint advises that healthcare organizations use a benefits realization model for AI use case analysis. This type of approach emphasizes the importance of identifying, quantifying, and developing a framework to prioritize potential use case initiatives across the business capability map.

The blueprint outlines a four-step approach to building a benefits realization model for AI use in the healthcare industry. A high-level breakdown can be found below:

1. Review – Review the full business capability map for healthcare. In business architecture, the primary view of an organization is known as a business capability map. A business capability map provides details that help the business architecture practitioner direct attention to a specific area of the business for further assessment.
   
   
2. Define – Define business goals, initiatives, and capabilities to select the appropriate AI use cases to improve and support business operations.
   
   
3. Identify – Identify any potential AI challenges, including data readiness, budget constraints, AI governance, privacy, and bias. Healthcare organizations are highly targeted and can experience significant and costly data breaches. Therefore, assessing all potential AI use cases against business criteria is crucial to mitigate risk during the implementation process.
   
   
4. Develop – Develop a use case priority matrix. To effectively gain executive buy-in, it is essential to strategically prioritize AI use cases based on their business value and implementation complexity. While an organization may have many initiatives that can be supported by AI use cases, a prioritization exercise can help decision-makers engage with their teams and business areas to ensure that no contextual information is missed that could impact the selection outcome.

"Health organizations should approach AI adoption strategically, with a clear understanding of the specific use cases and benefits, and a plan for addressing the challenges associated with implementation and ongoing use," adds Auma-Ebanyat. "Despite these challenges, the potential benefits of AI in healthcare are significant, and healthcare organizations that invest in AI technology and expertise will foster innovation to improve operational efficiency and patient outcomes."

Info-Tech's research explains that AI has transformative potential for organizations, but it also has risks and limitations that must be considered. Before implementing AI solutions, healthcare organizations must assess their readiness maturity level. The firm cautions that without adequate maturity, new technologies will not improve operations.

To learn more about how healthcare organizations can fast-track the process of identifying use cases, download the complete Discover AI Use Cases in Healthcare blueprint.

For media inquiries on the topic or to get exclusive, timely commentary from Sharon Auma-Ebanyat, a healthcare subject matter expert, please contact [email protected].

About Info-Tech Research Group

Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world's leading information technology research and advisory firms, proudly serving over 30,000 professionals. The company produces unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For 25 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with IT teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and over 200 IT and industry analysts through the firm's Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact [email protected].

SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group