The conference circuit is back in full swing with thousands of health leaders gathering at events across the country. Advisory Board researchers use these conferences to learn, test new hypotheses, and help health leaders make better decisions in 2023. We recently attended two of the biggest conferences in digital health and technology — ViVE and HIMSS. Here is our honest reaction.

AI is unavoidable in healthcare conversations

Artificial intelligence is emerging as the buzzword of 2023 — and the topic is unavoidable at these conferences. AI may be the hot topic, but not necessarily because of its merits and promise. Rather, it's because nobody really knows where it will be useful or what to say about it or how fast it will evolve.

So, absent anything specific to say, vendors are defaulting to the language of the moment – whether they are actually talking about artificial intelligence or not.

The artificial intelligence standoff — and what it will take to drive adoption

The healthcare industry is in a standoff between two opposing viewpoints. On one hand, there is the belief that digital tools will expand staff capacity, extend the reach of workforce, and make it more sustainable to work in healthcare. On the other hand, there is fear that implementing new digital tools will drive staff away as clinicians are forced to change their workflows. And even if health leaders believe in the promise of a tech-enabled workforce, they struggle to make long-term strategic decisions around technology, over indexing on immediately visible costs or being lured by the false promise of a "silver bullet." 

The urgency of the workforce crisis and the overwhelming number of tech solutions leave leaders somewhat paralyzed by choice, rightfully afraid of investing in the wrong tool. No one wants to spend their limited capital on tools that don’t actually address the root cause of their concerns, which only wastes resources and deepens staff fears about technology.  

The result of this standoff is a flood of new solutions in the market, with limited adoption. Healthcare providers are struggling to determine which tools are worth investing in, and which ones will simply add complexity and confusion to an already challenging environment.

The reality is that we will only see a wave of technology adoption when a meaningful portion of vendors and providers can square those two opposing viewpoints. The healthcare industry needs digital tools that will enhance, rather than replace, the existing workforce. The tools must be intuitive and easy to use, so that they do not unduly disrupt existing workflows. They must also be tailored to the specific needs of each healthcare provider, as there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

AI has the potential to revolutionize healthcare, but it must be implemented thoughtfully and strategically. Ultimately, the healthcare industry must embrace digital tools, particularly those that leverage the automation potential brought by AI, if it is to solve long-term problems of scale and cost.

However, leaders need to have a better understanding of the strengths and limitations of AI and where it can have a tangible impact. For now, that means investing in AI-powered digital solutions not for the sake of AI, but for those solutions' ability to enhance rather than replace the existing workforce and ultimately improve patient outcomes.