53% of Execs Say Healthcare Leads Artificial Intelligence Adoption

Fifty-three percent of healthcare executives say that the healthcare industry is ahead of most other industries in artificial intelligence adoption, according to a survey from KPMG.

However, 37 percent of respondents believe that the pace at which they’re implementing artificial intelligence is too slow, mainly because of factors related to cost and skill.

Participants’ eagerness to adopt and use AI reflects the industry-wide belief that the technology has the potential to transform healthcare. According to 89 percent of respondents, AI is already creating efficiencies in their systems, and 91 percent say AI is increasing patient access to care.

“The pace with which hospital systems have adopted AI and automation programs has dramatically increased since 2017,” said Melissa Edwards, Managing Director, Digital Enablement, KPMG. “Virtually all major healthcare providers are moving ahead with pilots or programs in these areas. The medical literature is showing support of AI’s power as a tool to help clinicians.”

Executives are particularly optimistic about AI’s ability to accelerate disease diagnosis. Sixty-eight percent of respondents are confident that AI will eventually be effective in diagnosing patient illnesses and conditions, and 47 percent believe diagnostics will have a significant impact within the next two years.

Participants also believe AI will have a positive effect on process automation, with 40 percent thinking that AI will eventually assist providers with x-rays and CT scans.

AI has proven to be a highly effective tool in the medical imaging field, with studies showing its ability to identify cancer, help clinicians make more informed decisions, and enhance patient diagnostics.

“We don’t want to overhype this by saying it’s going to take over everyone’s job, because it won’t. But we also don’t want to under-hype it, or say it’s too hard or too futuristic, because we don’t want people to stop trying,” Keith Dreyer, DO, PhD, Chief Data Science Officer and Corporate Director of Enterprise Medical Imaging at Partners Healthcare, told HealthITAnalytics.com.

“It’s really more about spreading a sense of reality and making sure that everyone is patient but still committed to working to make AI a force for good in healthcare.  If we can solve these puzzles in the imaging world, we’ll be able to make very swift progress elsewhere, and that is extremely exciting.”

Additionally, many respondents in the KPMG survey also believe that AI will continue to advance the digitization of healthcare. Forty-one percent of participants anticipate improved records management with AI, while 48 percent believe the greatest impact of AI will be in biometric-related applications.

Although healthcare leaders are excited by AI’s potential, organizations still face several challenges to implementing the technology. Just 47 percent of executives say their institutions offer AI training courses to employees, and just 67 percent say their employees support AI adoption.

“Comprehending the full range of AI technology, and how best to apply it in a healthcare setting, is a learned skill that grows out of pilots and tests. Building an AI-ready workforce requires a wholesale change in the approach to training and how to acquire talent. Having people who understand how AI can solve big, complex problems is critical,” said Edwards.

In addition to knowledge and skill barriers, cost presents a major challenge for AI implementation. Fifty-four percent of respondents believe that AI to date has actually increased rather than decreased the overall cost of healthcare. This suggests that healthcare executives are still trying to determine where to apply AI tools.  

“The question is, ‘Where do I put my AI efforts to get the greatest gain for the business? Trying to assess what ROI will look like is a very relevant point as they embark on their AI journey,” said Edwards.

Privacy and security remain considerable concerns for healthcare organizations as well. Seventy-five percent have concerns that AI could threaten the privacy and security of patient data, and 86 percent say their organizations are taking steps to protect patient privacy as they implement AI.

Despite these hurdles, healthcare leaders agree that AI will play an important role in improving care delivery, with 90 percent of respondents saying they believe that AI will improve the patient experience. The results show that once leaders address key issues to implementation, the benefits of AI could outweigh potential risks.

“While AI has already made some inroads in the back or middle office, patient access and care will ultimately see the biggest impact from AI by better diagnosing, treating, serving and helping patients at every point of engagement,” said Edwards. “Applying AI to unstructured data will also be quite useful in solving bigger problems, especially for patients.”