How to Use Technology to Simplify Healthcare Systems

My AI lesson of the week: The tech isn't the hard part…it's the people! During my prior work at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), we talked a lot about how any technology, whether a new drug or a new vaccine or a new information tool, would face challenges with how to integrate into the complex human systems that alway at play in healthcare. As I get deeper and deeper into AI, I am not surprised to see that those same challenges exist with this cadre of technology as well. It’s not the tech that limits us; the real complexity lies in driving adoption across diverse teams, workflows, and mindsets. And it’s not just implementation alone that will get to real ROI from AI—it’s the changes that will occur to our workflows that will generate the value. That’s why we are thinking differently about how to approach change management. We’re approaching the workflow integration with the same discipline and structure as any core system build. Our framework is designed to reduce friction, build momentum, and align people with outcomes from day one. Here’s the 5-point plan for how we're making that happen with health systems today: 🔹 AI Champion Program: We designate and train department-level champions who lead adoption efforts within their teams. These individuals become trusted internal experts, reducing dependency on central support and accelerating change. 🔹 An AI Academy: We produce concise, role-specific, training modules to deliver just-in-time knowledge to help all users get the most out of the gen AI tools that their systems are provisioning. 5-10 min modules ensures relevance and reduces training fatigue.  🔹 Staged Rollout: We don’t go live everywhere at once. Instead, we're beginning with an initial few locations/teams, refine based on feedback, and expand with proof points in hand. This staged approach minimizes risk and maximizes learning. 🔹 Feedback Loops: Change is not a one-way push. Host regular forums to capture insights from frontline users, close gaps, and refine processes continuously. Listening and modifying is part of the deployment strategy. 🔹 Visible Metrics: Transparent team or dept-based dashboards track progress and highlight wins. When staff can see measurable improvement—and their role in driving it—engagement improves dramatically. This isn’t workflow mapping. This is operational transformation—designed for scale, grounded in human behavior, and built to last. Technology will continue to evolve. But real leverage comes from aligning your people behind the change. We think that’s where competitive advantage is created—and sustained. #ExecutiveLeadership #ChangeManagement #DigitalTransformation #StrategyExecution #HealthTech #OperationalExcellence #ScalableChange

Many healthcare organizations are trying to optimize their workflows without a clear strategy, and that’s where things can go wrong. While serving as the US Navy's chief medical informatics officer (CMIO), I learned important lessons about workflow optimization, strategy, and technology integration. Here’s the truth: Healthcare workflows are intricate and multifaceted. Without the right approach, there’s a risk of: ⏳ Wasting valuable time on redundant tasks 💸 Incurring unnecessary costs 😟 Compromising patient experiences But it doesn’t have to be this way. 🔍 Here’s what you need to know to streamline and optimize your healthcare workflows with AI: 1️⃣ Identify Bottlenecks. First, not all workflow issues are created equally. Some are more critical than others. → Start by pinpointing the areas where inefficiencies are costing you the most. 2️⃣ Leverage AI for Automation. AI can handle routine tasks like appointment scheduling and data entry. → Free up your staff to focus on patient care and complex decision-making. 3️⃣ Enhance Decision-Making with AI. Insights AI can quickly analyze vast amounts of data, offering insights that improve patient outcomes. → Use AI to support clinical decisions and personalize treatment plans. 4️⃣ Improve Communication Channels. AI-driven tools can streamline communication between departments and with patients. → Ensure everyone is on the same page, reducing errors and enhancing patient satisfaction. 5️⃣ Monitor and Adjust Regularly. AI is powerful, but it is not set and forgotten. Continuous monitoring and adjustments are key. → Regularly review your workflows and tweak AI tools for ongoing optimization. Healthcare is challenging enough. Don’t let outdated workflows add to the stress. With a strategic approach, AI can transform your healthcare operations, making them more efficient, cost-effective, and patient-centered. 👉 Are you ready to explore how AI can elevate your healthcare workflows? Let’s discuss the possibilities.

Americans have the shortest lifespans and the highest number of preventable deaths, despite ranking #1 on healthcare spending among developed nations. A recent Commonwealth Fund study revealed why. [Mirror, Mirror 2024: A Portrait of the Failing U.S. Health System] Our system breaks down in 5 key areas. Here’s how AI can help alleviate these problems: 1- Access to Care Millions cannot access basic care. > 26 million are uninsured. > 25% of working-age adults are underinsured. > After-hours care is hard to find. AI can transform access by predicting community health needs, streamlining patient-provider matching, and creating intelligent care navigation systems. 2- Administrative Inefficiency Administrative costs are three times higher than in other nations. > Insurance systems are complex. > Paperwork takes too much time. AI can streamline the entire administrative ecosystem. From automated documentation to intelligent billing systems – freeing up resources for actual patient care. 3- Care Process Healthcare delivery is fragmented. > Providers do not communicate well. > Patients struggle to navigate care. AI can create a unified care experience by connecting disparate systems, automating follow-ups, and ensuring seamless transitions between providers. 4- Equity Healthcare is unequal. > Income affects access. > Racial and ethnic gaps are wide. > Resources are not evenly distributed. AI can analyze population health data to identify care gaps, predict community needs, and help organizations deploy resources where they'll have the greatest impact. 5- Health Outcomes Outcomes are poor. > Life expectancy is the lowest. > Preventable deaths are the highest. > Chronic disease management is weak. AI can transform reactive healthcare into proactive care by identifying at-risk populations, predicting potential health issues, and enabling early interventions. There's a lot of things AI can do. But it's not a silver bullet. It can't fix every healthcare issue. Fixing the system also means addressing policies, culture, and inequities that go far beyond technology. But progress comes when we focus on what we CAN change. By improving the systems we control, leveraging tools like AI, and staying committed to building a fairer, smarter healthcare system, we take meaningful steps forward. Better healthcare isn't about perfection. It's about progress, one step at a time. #healthcare #healthtech #technology #innovation #ai

POV: The most advanced healthcare AI on earth is useless if it doesn't fit into the 47 seconds a physician has with each patient. The "𝟰𝟳 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘀" is the average amount of time a physician listens to a patient before interrupting—and by extension, the average time doctors get to engage meaningfully with patients in a typical encounter After 30 years as a neurosurgeon and now a health tech founder, I've witnessed the same pattern repeatedly: 👉 Brilliant engineers build powerful AI solutions that clinicians simply won't use. Why do healthcare AI projects fail? 🤔 They're designed in tech bubbles without understanding clinical realities: 👨🏻⚕️Creating documentation burdens 👨🏻⚕️Disrupting established workflows 👨🏻⚕️Failing to integrate with existing systems 👨🏻⚕️Adding steps rather than removing them When building the MedMatch Network, we reversed this approach. Our team: 1. Mapped every step of the patient journey 2. Shadowed referral coordinators for months 3. Built technology that works within existing workflows 4. Identified pain points clinicians actually wanted solved The results speak for themselves. Our provider adoption rates exceed 85% because we solved real problems without creating new ones. True healthcare innovation requires deep clinical partnerships from day one. Technology should enhance medical expertise, not replace it. AI solutions must reduce cognitive load, not increase it. The most successful healthcare AI will be invisible—seamlessly integrated into clinical workflows while eliminating administrative burdens. Has an AI solution actually made your clinical work easier? I'd love to hear your experience…👇🏻 #healthcareAI #clinicalworkflow #medicaltechnology #digitalhealth

A healthcare company was struggling with low patient compliance and poor communication between providers and patients—leading to suboptimal outcomes and regulatory concerns. How wearable tech is changing remote care: By integrating wearable devices into their Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) programs, they enabled continuous, real-time collection of patient data—such as heart rate, blood pressure, and glucose levels—directly from patients’ homes. This data was securely transmitted to healthcare professionals, allowing for timely interventions and personalized care plans. Results: - Improved patient compliance with treatment and monitoring plans through reminders and real-time feedback - Reduced hospital readmissions and in-person visits due to early detection and proactive management - Enhanced patient engagement and satisfaction by empowering individuals to take a more active role in their health Real change happens when technology meets strategy. Would this solution work for your organization? #AIinHealthcare #HealthTech #DigitalHealth