By Chris Meyer, Slalom Sales Executive
🌟 Generative AI and healthcare – a pairing brimming with potential. The Tennessee HIMSS Chapter Hackathon Kick-Off provided a lens into this dynamic intersection, presenting insights, concerns, and the vision for a transformative healthcare future. 🌟
Why the Hackathon?
- Staying Ahead of the Curve: The TN HIMSS annual summit spotlighted the importance of fresh programming and staying relevant.
- Problem-Solving: Addressing pressing challenges for provider members is key.
- Geographical Reach: TN HIMSS isn’t just Nashville-centric. Its influence spans from West to East Tennessee.
- It’s a Blast!: Let’s not forget – Hackathons are FUN!
AI’s Promise & Concerns – A Word from US Senator Marsha Blackburn
Senator Blackburn highlighted AI’s potential in healthcare: speeding up diagnostics, curbing misdiagnosis, and ironing out documentation mistakes. While Congress is delineating AI boundaries, the private sector is innovating solutions.
Organizational Use of GenAI – A Panel Overview
- Ardent: Leveraging GenAI in operating units like IT, Finance, and Marketing. They’re tapping into forecasting for seasonality and patient trends.
- Microsoft (MSFT): Investing alongside EHRs, integrating GenAI as a “co-pilot” in products and services, and assisting clients in pinpointing use cases.
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC): Boasting the largest biomedical staff nationwide, they’re exploring clinical applications, building infrastructures to capitalize on industry tools, and focusing on health equity.
Successes and Sleepless Nights
- VUMC: They’ve partnered with Microsoft, using clinical data in a secure data lake for research. While the rapid pace of GenAI is exciting, there’s anxiety about ensuring patient safety and keeping up with technology’s speed.
- Ardent: Their collaboration with EPIC emphasizes message automation and ambient listening. Their primary concern? Ensuring safe tech adoption without compromising security.
Use Cases to Consider
- MSFT: Emphasizing automation and task simplification to combat issues like physician burnout and nursing shortages. They recommend not plunging into clinical use cases immediately.
- Ardent: Advocating for Natural Language Query, transforming simple prompts into SQL queries.
- VUMC: Alleviating documentation strain is essential. Generative tools can repurpose data for varied audiences – from children to clinicians. An interesting tidbit? A Forbes story revealed that AI displays more empathy than overworked physicians.
Driving Adoption: Tips from the Panel
- VUMC: Aligning incentives is pivotal. Tools should enhance job performance.
- MSFT: Cultivating an innovative culture is key. Engage teams like IT and Legal early in the innovation process.
- Ardent: Data literacy and education are at the forefront. It’s not about being first, but about being accurate.
Final Thoughts
The Hackathon wasn’t merely an event. It was an expedition into the frontier of healthcare’s future. As Generative AI reshapes our healthcare perspectives, it’s imperative to tread with innovation, caution, and collaboration. To the future and beyond!