Majority of physicians use AI to stay on top of medical research, create discharge instructions, document medical visits and more, says new AMA survey.
LAS VEGAS – Physicians need to lead on tech transformation, especially when it comes to AI, said American Medical Association Executive VP and CEO John Whyte and Micky Tripathi, chief AI Implementation Officer, Mayo Clinic.
A new AMA survey shows the majority of physicians are using augmented intelligence to stay on top of medical research, create discharge instructions, document medical visits and more. Unlike artificial intelligence, augmented intelligence uses AI to enhance, rather than replace, human decision-making.
Whyte and Tripathi spoke at the HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition during the session, “From Bedside to the Boardroom: The Physician’s Role in Healthcare AI Strategy.”
Physician leadership and ownership is needed to first, identify the problem, and then figure out how technology can help solve it, according to Whyte.
“I think this is one of the critical issues,” Whyte said. “Right now, the technology is leading how we use health.”
The challenge is the time needed to get busy physicians involved, Tripathi said. AI would allow them to do things in medicine they could not do before, he said.
“We try to get them as engaged as possible in that last one,” Tripathi said, “… to engage their spirit.”
A way to get physicians involved is by not making new tech mandatory, Whyte said. Physicians need to know up front, what is the shared value? They were told the EHR would make their lives easier but it has not made their lives easier, Whyte said.
Tools fail because the technology does not understand workflow, Whyte said.
“Technology needs to be the servant,” Tripathi agreed.
Tripathi gave an example of clinician engagement. The Mayo Clinic has come up with a solution to assist radiologists with X-rays, he said, which speeds up the time involved in identifying issues by 45 seconds per X-ray. It comes with a risk in interpretation.
“Then I started talking to radiologists,” Tripathi said. They told him that saving 45 seconds per image made the technology worthwhile, even with the time needed to review potential risks.
“We have a lot of bottom up at Mayo,” said Tripathi who is involved with the Practice Leadership team at the Mayo Clinic for input into AI implementation.
Nurses and other clinicians are developing ideas. If someone has a good idea, that’s turned into a tool they can use. This fits into their problem-solving nature, Tripathi said.
“No one wants things done to them,” he said.
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