The HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition, held in Orlando, Florida, from March 11 to 15, 2024, provided a profound glimpse into the current and future states of healthcare technology. This pivotal event brings together industry leaders and innovators to discuss, offering a glimpse into the latest advancements and future trends shaping the industry, and this year’s conference was no different.
In this blog, we will explore the top takeaways identified by Gartner related to trends, challenges, and opportunities in clinical technologies:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Virtual care
- Electronic health records (EHRs)
The Practical Shift in AI Applications
Presenters emphasized the importance of AI governance, a framework that ensures the safe and effective use of AI in healthcare. This governance structure should encompass an evaluation framework for both internally developed and externally sourced AI solutions. This framework would assess factors like accuracy, bias, and potential unintended consequences. Additionally, ongoing monitoring tools and processes are crucial for continuously evaluating the performance of AI models in real-world use.
The lack of industry-wide standards for AI development creates challenges. In the absence of such standards, many organizations have been forced to develop their own evaluation and monitoring processes. Further complicating matters, the U.S. Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology’s (ONC) recent HTI-1 rule, aimed at increasing transparency in AI development, only applies to a limited segment of the industry – U.S.-based, ONC-certified developers (e.g., EHR vendors). Additionally, concerns have been raised regarding the feasibility of meeting the rule’s aggressive timelines.
Recognizing the need for broader collaboration, industry stakeholders are forming alliances to address these challenges. Initiatives like the Trustworthy & Responsible AI Network (TRAIN), spearheaded by Microsoft at HIMSS, aim to establish best practices for AI development, deployment, and monitoring. This consortium, comprised of leading healthcare organizations, seeks to ensure the responsible and equitable use of AI across the entire healthcare landscape.
These efforts highlight the industry’s commitment to harnessing the power of AI for good. By prioritizing responsible development and fostering collaboration, healthcare can leverage AI to deliver exceptional patient care while mitigating potential risks.
Virtual Care Moves Up the Acuity Ladder
Virtual care adoption is maturing, with healthcare providers transitioning from basic telehealth solutions to more complex models. Virtual inpatient nursing and Hospital-in-the-Home (HITH) programs are gaining traction, driven by ongoing clinician shortages and promising results like cost reduction, improved patient experiences, and lower staff turnover.
Vendors are offering a variety of solutions to cater to these evolving needs. Some specialize in “smart hospital” solutions, integrating software and hardware with advanced sensors for in-patient and in-home monitoring. Others take a platform-agnostic approach, offering flexible solutions compatible with diverse hardware setups. Additionally, the integration of AI and Generative AI (GenAI) into virtual care platforms holds promise for enhanced patient monitoring, proactive interventions, and improved clinical decision-making.
Cloud-Powered EHRs Embrace GenAI
Enterprise EHR vendors displayed their latest offerings at HIMSS, highlighting their commitment to cloud-based solutions and GenAI development. Partnerships with tech giants like Microsoft (Azure OpenAI Service) and Google (MedLM) are accelerating the development of GenAI use cases in EHRs. These functionalities initially focus on streamlining workflows and reducing clinician burden, such as auto-generating hospital course summaries.
Cloud platforms are essential for EHR vendors to deliver new AI and GenAI features. Oracle, for example, is migrating its EHR products to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) to facilitate the development of the Clinical Digital Assistant (CDA) – a multimodal solution with features like digital dictation and ambient digital scribing. Oracle Health also announced new GenAI-powered features for increased care management efficiency within its Health Data Intelligence (HDI) platform.
Collaboration and Innovation: The Path Forward
The HIMSS conference provided valuable insights into the evolving healthcare landscape. AI, virtual care advancements, and cloud-powered EHRs are shaping the future of patient care. As these technologies continue to develop and integrate, healthcare leaders must prioritize responsible AI development, ensure equitable access to virtual care solutions, and leverage the power of cloud-based platforms to enhance patient outcomes and clinician experiences.
At HealthAxis, we are committed to contributing to this dynamic landscape with our integrated business solutions. Our offerings are designed to be scalable and adaptable, ensuring they meet the evolving needs of healthcare organizations at every scale and scope. Learn more about how our solutions can support your organization in embracing these technological advancements to improve patient outcomes and operational efficiencies.
Learn more about how HealthAxis can tailor a solution to fit your needs and help you navigate the ever-changing healthcare landscape.
