The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly expanding in the healthcare industry and is being leveraged to improve accuracy, efficiency, and workflow. Hospital systems, physicians, data scientists, and IT and informatics leaders are joining together with industry to apply AI and machine learning to some of the most intractable problems in healthcare. AI-enabled imaging, for example, presents a powerful opportunity to accelerate the identification and application of personalized treatments in ways that are often less invasive, faster, and potentially more cost-effective.
Pure Storage engaged with AI In Healthcare to survey 1,238 healthcare leaders to uncover what they consider to be the top AI priorities and challenges today. AI success starts with leadership, vision, and investment, and according to the survey findings, healthcare leaders have all three.
The report unpacks how AI is being leveraged to address some of healthcare’s biggest challenges – detecting brain bleeds in CT scans, quantify coronary artery calcifications in X-rays, and recognizing patterns in coding to facilitate swift payment – and offers a unique perspective that spans both business and technology.
What else did we learn? Here are seven key findings from the report:
- C-level healthcare leaders are leading the charge to AI. 40 percent of survey respondents say their strategy is coming from the top down. CIOs most often manage AI across the healthcare enterprise (27 percent).
- AI has moved into the mainstream. Some 40 percent of respondents are using AI, with 50 percent of those using between one and 10 applications.
- Health systems are committed to investing in AI. 93 percent of respondents agree AI is absolutely essential, very important, or important to their strategy. Administration holds financial responsibility for AI at 43 percent of facilities, with IT paying the bill at 26 percent of sites.
- Fortifying infrastructure is top of mind. 20 percent of survey respondents are investing $1 million to $10 million this year. Storage strength and computing power are essential to analyze and speed access to data.
- Improving care is AI’s greatest benefit. Improving accuracy, efficiency, and workflow are the top benefits leaders see coming from AI. Cancer, heart disease, and stroke are the disease states survey respondents see AI holding the greatest promise for.
- Health systems are both buying and developing AI apps. About 38 percent of respondents are exclusively opting to purchase commercially developed apps, while 13 percent are developing everything in-house.
- Radiology is blazing the AI trial. Respondents tell us that radiology apps top the list of tools they’re using to enhance breast, chest, and cardiovascular imaging.
Take a look at the full AI In Healthcare Leadership Survey 2020 report for more perspectives from the CIO and C-Suite on how healthcare systems are using and planning for AI.
