Discussion: Ardent Health Outlines Its Vision for Digital Transformation Journey
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Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Healthcare: A Strategy for Success
Health tech conferences this year showcased a plethora of AI and ML solutions that caught the eyes of many healthcare organizations, especially those focusing on artificial intelligence and machine learning. But for Anika Gardenhire, chief digital and transformation officer at Brentwood, Tenn.-based Ardent Health, it's vital that the team's technology strategic plan aligns with the organization's overall goals.
"We have significant plans around growth, the consumer experience, and ensuring that we can manage our margins," says Gardenhire, a nursing background professional. "This strategy includes preparing our infrastructure for growth, ensuring an excellent digital consumer experience, and preparing for scale and managing a margin."
Gardenhire spoke with HealthTech about her priorities, getting user buy-in for new technology implementations, and sifting through the latest solutions to find what works for her organization.
Prioritizing IT: What's the Game Plan?
Gardenhire's priorities haven't really changed since starting her role. "We still want to ensure our infrastructure is prepared for growth, that we are doing so efficiently and in a secure fashion," she explains. "We also want to ensure an excellent digital consumer experience to focus on existing consumers, acquire new ones, and reach out to the communities we serve."
As we prepare for the next phase of augmented intelligence, it's important that our data is prepared to take advantage of these technologies and that we have governance, says Gardenhire. "It's about building the infrastructure to ensure we can take best advantage of AI and machine learning solutions."
User Buy-in: Making Things Happen
When deploying new technologies or adopting new processes, Gardenhire advises encouraging team members' imagination. "People know how things could be better, so we need to ask them how they think a process can be improved."
Adoption is taking off fast, says Gardenhire, especially with AI and machine learning where regulatory or other imperatives aren't required. "We have to understand what nursing needs and what would make the process and the workflow better."
For any partnership, it's crucial not to become married to a solution, says Gardenhire. "This tech is moving so fast. We see the Gartner maps, the KLAS surveys - they are updating rapidly because the technology is moving so fast. I think we also have to be prepared for staying with whoever is leading at the moment and getting our environment to a point where we're almost plug and play."
Evaluating AI Solutions: Sifting Through the Buzz
Ardent Health has a chief data and AI officer who works with the organization to understand the business case, jobs to be done, and problems being solved. They work through a governance process to pinpoint solutions for these problems. "We circle back and recognize what the problem is, ask if it's a problem the organization wants to solve, and whether or not we want to solve it right now," says Gardenhire. "Make sure you have a deep partnership with business leaders so that we all agree that it is a problem, and that we all agree we're going to solve it right now."
With AI leading the conversation, it's crucial to prepare for its future impact. Addressing the infrastructure's readiness, ethical and legal considerations, data management best practices, model development and validation, clinical integration and oversight, staffing gaps, and cybersecurity and risk management can ensure AI solutions are effectively integrated into strategic plans, improving patient care while reducing operational challenges.
- In the pursuit of advancing healthcare through technology, it's essential to consider the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning in the realm of health-and-wellness, as these technologies could play a significant role in improving patient care and managing operational challenges.
- As Anika Gardenhire emphasizes, the strategic plan for technology should align not only with the organization's goals but also with the ever-evolving landscape of science and technology, ensuring that the infrastructure is prepared to harness the full potential of AI and machine learning solutions for health and wellness.
