AI in Healthcare Isn’t About Technology—It’s About Capacity

By Pamela J. Gallagher

In healthcare circles, AI is often discussed as a cost-reduction tool. While that is an important consideration when determining whether to adopt a particular AI technology, this shouldn’t be the only—or even the primary—focus.

The real value of AI in healthcare is creating capacity.

The healthcare industry’s AI usage should not be about acquiring the newest technology for technology’s sake. We must select the AI tools that are able to release humans to do what humans do best. Expanding the capacity of our people to do the things that technology cannot do is the best use of AI.

Enhancing the workforce

For years, hospitals and healthcare organizations have been sounding the alarm: “There aren’t enough qualified people to do what needs to be done!” Our industry seems to be perpetually short on staff. While strategic use of AI cannot suddenly increase the number of qualified healthcare professionals, it can remove redundancies from processes so that employees are making the best use of their time. AI tools can take some responsibilities and job functions off people’s plates, or at the very least reduce the amount of time it takes to perform those functions, so that humans get to do the things “only humans can do.”

Ultimately, we want every dollar of compensation to be going toward jobs that are defined by high-quality “human work.” We want our human capital to be focused on jobs and tasks where compassion or relational trust is required. Imagine no longer having to shout “Representative!” when you call your provider or hospital customer service line with a question! From customer service to acute care, AI can help us return to human-to-human interactions where it matters most.

Giving back time

One of the fears of employing AI solutions in clinical settings is that it will replace physicians. I disagree. Rather than replace crucial medical staff, AI has the power to give them time back. Technologies like ambient documentation tools can help enhance physicians’ interactions with patients. Rather than every conversation with a patient being a precursor to long bouts of note taking and documentation in their offices, only to repeat the cycle again, physicians can be freed to listen well, observe carefully, and build trust. In short, AI can release our providers to provide care.

This recovery of time, from a hospital perspective, translates into more patient visits, better documentation, improved coding, and stronger revenue cycle performance. But another crucial benefit of the increase in time capacity could be a workforce that has the space to stop, breathe, rest, and enjoy their lives. In a time in our industry when burnout is prevalent, the right AI tools can allow health organizations to do more than encourage “resilience” when things are difficult, and actually make time in the day for a healthier workforce.

Organizations that view AI through a capacity lens will see growth. Those that focus only on the cost-reduction benefits of AI will underinvest and under-realize value. Looking for ways to use AI to increase human capacity is more than a technology strategy. It is a growth strategy.