The following is a guest article by Heather A. Haugen, Ph.D. Healthcare Consulting Practice Leader, NTT DATA
I recently participated in a discussion centered around the impact of generative AI (GenAI) and agentic AI on healthcare. The healthcare industry is currently seeing positive results from using agentic AI in their daily processes. However, there is still work to be done to fully commit to this new technology.
This article dives into our discussion on how agentic AI is transforming healthcare practitioners’ workflows, along with the strategies behind its successful implementation for patients, practitioners, health plans and larger health organizations.
The burden on healthcare providers and the promise of agentic AI
It’s no secret healthcare workers face stressful workloads that can take a toll on not only them, but patients and families receiving care as well. During the discussion, a colleague said, “There was never a day, not a single day, where I left work and all the work was done. It was simply what could wait until the next day.” Healthcare providers are faced with overwhelming administrative and cognitive burdens, which contribute to burnout and inefficiency. Having a handle on their workloads or even getting ahead can seem like a pipe dream to most.
Implementing a GenAI solution like agentic AI can ease some of the administrative workload across healthcare roles. In our recent research report, GenAI: The care plan for powering positive health outcomes, 95% of those surveyed agreed that GenAI is a crucial differentiator in proactive patient/member experiences that drive value.
By streamlining administrative processes and improving operational efficiency, AI agents help reduce wait times for appointments, tests and procedures. Because of these impacts, many organizations are preparing their GenAI strategies to focus on such areas. Among respondents, 51% have already assessed the GenAI opportunity to streamline patient experiences and 94% will have done so within the next year. This frees up more of the cognitive load on practitioners and helps them to foster a collaborative, trusting relationship with patients.
Rethinking business models for adopting AI agents
While many are optimistic about the successful results GenAI is harboring, there is still work to be done to fully accept and incorporate it into the healthcare system. Healthcare organizations are considering how they are viewing their business models and care delivery strategies to fully leverage the potential of agentic AI. It’s important to integrate a GenAI strategy into your organizations strategic planning. Aligning the GenAI strategy with the business strategy, ensuring they grow and match with the evolving nature of care delivery is key.
Our research revealed 81% of organizations have a well-defined GenAI strategy in place. However, only 40% of healthcare leaders agree that the GenAI strategy strongly aligns with their business strategy.
It can be hard to align a GenAI strategy with business goals, especially if in some areas the goals compete or differ altogether. To help ease this alignment, focus on the key outcomes that are important to patients, families and caregivers. For example, if your strategy has the end goal of increasing revenue, you may want to shift the focus to increasing your client base. Since agentic AI helps ease the administrative burden of patient care, it allows health practitioners to see more patients.
Overcome AI strategy challenges by understanding governance
While bridging the gap between GenAI and business strategies, it’s important to include governance in this process. You can implement a strong GenAI strategy, but how will you ensure it remains unbiased, ethical and following the guidelines and parameters set in the software?
Incorporating a governance strategy within the GenAI strategy helps instill trust and confidence in GenAI solutions. It allows you to be sure a solution like agentic AI gets deployed, prioritized, adopted and monitored properly. Research states 83% say it is very important to have confidence in the security of the GenAI technology. Establishing a governance review board or center of excellence is highly recommended to ensure your GenAI strategy is on track, and the technology remains true.
The future of healthcare with agentic AI
While there may be challenges in strategy alignment, the results of agentic AI can speak for themselves. You may see it as starting small and helping automate and complete administrative tasks, but the future is bright. Agentic AI unburdens healthcare workers and patients/members alike. It can provide more personalized and proactive care, reducing the need for patients to travel and ensuring adherence to recommended interventions.
The current healthcare system is volume-driven, but agentic AI can help shift focus toward managing populations and reducing avoidable medical expenditures. Agentic AI can help with patient education, chart summarization and messaging, improving both patient and provider experiences. With tools like ambient listening, practitioners gain more insights and can feel better equipped to manage their patient care than ever before.
The integration of agentic AI in healthcare represents a significant shift toward more efficient, patient-centric care. By alleviating the administrative and cognitive burdens on healthcare providers, agentic AI enables practitioners to focus more on patient care, fostering a collaborative and trusting relationship. However, the successful adoption of agentic AI requires healthcare organizations to carefully align their goals across business models and care delivery strategies. Moreover, aligning AI strategies with overall business goals and implementing robust governance frameworks are crucial steps in ensuring the effective and ethical deployment of agentic AI.
As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, embracing agentic AI will be pivotal in driving positive health outcomes, improving experiences and reducing burnout for healthcare workers.
Healthcare, like many industries, is successfully using AI. To hear more use cases, meet up with NTT DATA at the ViVE and HIMSS Conferences.
Dr. Heather A. Haugen leads the Healthcare Consulting practice for NTT DATA. Her previous roles include the Chief Science Officer at Atos in the Digital Health Solutions division and the Managing Director of The Breakaway Group, A Xerox Company. Haugen’s experience spans industry and academia including large EHR implementations, revenue cycle management, clinical trials, and healthcare operations.
Dr. Haugen holds a faculty position at the University of Colorado Denver- Anschutz Medical Center as the Director of Health Information Technology, where she actively mentors doctoral students and teaches courses. She serves as an Advisory Board Member for DU in the Daniels College of Business Management.
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