Navigating the administrative side of healthcare can feel like being swept away to Oz. Notes, claims, authorizations, oh my! The sheer volume of paperwork can pull providers away from what matters most: patient care. But what if there was a yellow brick road back to focusing on patients? Many providers are finding that AI offers just that—a path to administrative freedom.
Leading healthcare organizations, such as Kaiser Permanente and Banner Health, are already using AI to boost efficiency in innovative ways. And these strategies aren’t just for large institutions; smaller organizations can find ways to integrate AI into their daily operations, as well.
In part 1 of our Unmasking Healthcare AI series, we explored different use cases and practical first steps for companies adopting AI. Now, we’re focusing specifically on efficiency. We’ll take a look at how leading organizations leverage AI to improve daily operations, ultimately enhancing healthcare for both providers and patients. Let’s dive in.
Kaiser Permanente: Ambient Listening Technology
Starting off strong with Kaiser Permanente, a healthcare giant at the forefront of using AI to enhance patient care and improve efficiency. They’ve implemented ambient listening technology, which utilizes AI to automatically transcribe and summarize conversations between doctors and patients during appointments. This innovative solution significantly reduces the time physicians spend on tedious documentation, allowing them to dedicate more of their attention to patient needs and concerns.
Dr. Ramin Davidoff, Executive Medical Director, emphasizes the importance of this technology: “Creating space for the patient and the physician connection is paramount. We believe that this technology will not only improve efficiency but also enhance the quality of patient care.”
Dr. Davidoff was not exaggerating in his call to improve efficiencies. Studies have found that clinical documentation makes up a third of the average provider’s day. While other studies suggest that nearly as much time is being spent on documentation as direct patient care. By automating this process, ambient listening technology aims to alleviate this burden and improve the overall patient experience.
While this cutting-edge technology raises valid concerns regarding accuracy, data privacy, and the ethical use of AI, Kaiser Permanente is committed to responsible implementation. Patient consent is mandatory, and rigorous quality checks are in place to ensure the accuracy and security of the transcribed information.
While Kaiser Permanente’s extensive resources enabled them to implement a highly developed tool, their pioneering work benefits the entire healthcare industry. Many existing healthcare technology providers are now integrating AI and are in the final stages of testing to ensure maximum privacy and utility. Therefore, even if your organization lacks the resources to develop or implement a large-scale AI program, it’s likely that your current healthcare IT systems will soon offer AI-assisted efficiency tools.
Cleveland Clinic: Virtual Command Center
Cleveland Clinic is another leading healthcare organization that is leveraging AI to boost efficiency. Partnering with Palantir Technologies, Cleveland Clinic has launched their Virtual Command Center, an AI-driven tool designed to improve patient flow, staffing, and operating room (OR) scheduling.
With over 80,000 caregivers, accurately predicting patient demand is essential for effectively allocating resources. The Virtual Command Center tackles this challenge head-on. The AI-powered system predicts patient volume and anticipates potential bottlenecks by analyzing vast amounts of data, including patient appointments, historical trends, and real-time updates.
This proactive approach allows Cleveland Clinic to optimize staffing levels so that the right number of nurses, doctors, and support staff are available when needed. The Command Center also makes scheduling for the operating room more efficient, which helps cut down on delays and makes better use of surgical resources. This leads to shorter wait times for patients and also improves how smoothly everything runs, ultimately saving money.
“All of these decisions become complex very quickly at the scale at which we operate,” says Rohit Chandra, PhD, Chief Digital Officer. “Working with Palantir, we can now leverage technology to automate and optimize all these decisions.”
Banner Health: Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
Banner Health, another big name in healthcare, is leading the way in using AI to improve their revenue cycle management (RCM). They’ve implemented Robotic Process Automation (RPA) to automate tasks like finding patient insurance coverage and entering it into their systems. This automation not only eliminates the risk of human error in data entry but also frees up valuable staff time.
To take it a step further, they’re using RPA to help with the actual claims process. Bots can automatically request information from payors and even generate appeal letters for denied claims, which saves time and ensures consistent responses.
Looking ahead, Banner Health is exploring more advanced AI, like Machine Learning (ML) and Natural Language Processing (NLP). They’ve already built a model that analyzes denial codes and payment probabilities to predict the success of appeals, and they envision AI suggesting ways to improve the entire RCM process in the future.
Jacci Schavone, who is leading these transformative efforts, states, “In the very near future, AI will ingest that data and make improvement recommendations like our continuous improvement team does today.”
This focus on AI-powered automation helps Banner Health to not only improve efficiency and reduce costs but also free up its staff to focus on higher-value activities, such as complex case management and providing personalized patient care.
AI is Here to Stay
Remember, AI is not about replacing human interaction but rather enhancing it. The Virtual Command Center, for example, doesn’t dictate staffing decisions but rather provides valuable insights that can lead healthcare leaders to make informed choices.
Similarly, Kaiser Permanente’s AI-powered documentation tool aims to free up clinicians’ time so they can focus on what truly matters: building strong patient relationships and providing the best possible experience. By automating mundane tasks, AI allows healthcare professionals to dedicate more time to understanding individual patient needs and providing personalized care.
These are just a few examples of how leading healthcare organizations are using AI to make day-to-day care more efficient. However, as AI technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more innovative applications in the healthcare sector.
If you are excited about these advancements in AI and are ready to dip your toe in, check out part 3 of our Unmasking Healthcare AI series, Preparing for an AI-Driven Future.
To learn more about the various ways AI is being used in healthcare, including treatment applications, read part 1 of our AI series, Getting Started: Best Uses for AI in Healthcare.