Universities Outpacing Tech Firms in Implementing AI in Healthcare, Says Expert
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Universities could be better suited than technology firms to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) in the healthcare sector, according to Philip Payne, chief health AI officer at Washington University in St Louis. Payne stated that universities have the advantage of access to patient networks, allowing them to evaluate AI technology and measure clinical outcomes in a way tech companies cannot. He suggests that to maximize the benefits of AI in healthcare, tech companies need to collaborate with universities, combining access to real-world environments for testing AI solutions with the technical expertise of the companies.
Universities Poised to Lead AI Implementation in Healthcare
Universities may outpace tech companies in incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into healthcare systems, according to a top digital health expert. Philip Payne, the chief health AI officer at Washington University in St Louis, believes academic medicine can quickly apply AI advances from research and innovation in healthcare.
Technology companies, including Google and IBM, face challenges accessing patients and data, despite their growing investments in AI healthcare solutions. However, Washington University, boasting two teaching hospitals and significant NIH funding, can access abundant patient networks and data.
Payne emphasized the opportunity for academics to evaluate AI technologies within these patient networks, analysing clinical outcomes, quality, safety, and improvements to patient lives. These metrics go beyond the technical feasibility assessments commonly conducted by tech companies.
As the chief health AI officer, Payne is also fostering relationships with tech companies to foster innovation. He understands that combining the strengths of both academia and tech companies can generate more impactful results.
AI Opportunities in Healthcare
Payne points to ‘less glamorous’ areas like clinical documentation as major opportunities for AI impact in healthcare. He notes that doctors in modern clinical settings spend more time documenting on computers than interacting with patients. To address this, the university has been using AI to listen to patient conversations and generate documentation in real-time.
Early findings indicate that AI documentation can reduce the time doctors spend on patient records from several minutes to under 30 seconds. This technological leap could enable more direct patient-provider communication.
Other universities, like the University of Texas at San Antonio, are also integrating AI into healthcare education. Their dual-degree program launched in 2023 combines AI with medicine.
For successful AI implementation in healthcare, Payne insists on swiftly transitioning research from the lab to real-world application, accelerating the typically slow research timeline.
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