Trust is a vital currency in health care, and organizations across the industry need to continually invest in strengthening and demonstrating trustworthiness. The rise of AI and its use in health care marks the latest chapter in these essential efforts.
As health care organizations increasingly adopt AI-driven tools, the industry is seeing new tensions emerge across patients, clinicians, payers, and the health care workforce. In addition, the proliferation of AI has exacerbated the challenge of combatting misinformation and its dangerous consequences.
But advancements in AI also present novel opportunities to transform research, care delivery, and more in ways that improve patient outcomes and consumer experience in health care. At Health Evolution’s 2024 Connect, Kenneth Young, President & CEO, Medecision, sat down with Chloé Bakalar, Chief Ethicist, Meta; Sree Chaguturu, MD, EVP and Chief Medical Officer, CVS Health; and Geeta Nayyar, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Technologist, and WSJ Bestselling Author, to discuss how leaders can embrace this revolutionary technology while continuing to strengthen trust and consumer relationships.
Building trust in an AI-powered world
Introducing new technologies in health care requires a careful balance between innovation and trust, the discussion leaders said. When deployed thoughtfully and responsibly, AI has the potential to improve patient outcomes and strengthen trust—but if it introduces new barriers or reinforces systemic flaws, it risks having the opposite effect.
The discussion leaders stressed that executives have a responsibility to deploy technology in a way that instills and builds trust in AI—not only among consumers, but also among industry professionals.
As leaders navigate distrust in AI within the health care workforce, they face a range of challenges—from skepticism and distrust to operational barriers. The discussion leaders acknowledged that, in some instances, technology intended to streamline processes and care delivery actually creates friction between clinicians and patients, introduces operational challenges, and erodes trust. Therefore, leaders must deploy AI-driven tools in thoughtful ways that build workers’ confidence in AI and ease strain in their workflows.
The discussion leaders emphasized that organizations should use AI to augment—not replace—the health care workforce. To do so, health care leaders must educate and equip the workforce, ensuring staff understand how to leverage AI tools to streamline their work and improve patient outcomes.
Leaders also must set clear expectations and establish open communication channels with staff to accelerate adoption and transparently address questions and challenges when they arise. When the benefits of new technologies are unclear, uncertainty can grow—undermining trust and slowing adoption among both patients and providers. Leaders should communicate how new technologies benefit their staff and patients, and empower front-line users to share their experiences with adopting and leveraging AI-driven tools.
Establishing responsible, trustworthy partnerships to inspire confidence in AI
Health care is one of many industries pursuing widespread AI adoption, and leaders have an opportunity to learn valuable lessons from other industries.
To meet the moment, the discussion leaders encouraged executives to collaborate with technology partners who bring decades of experience in responsible AI use. These cross-sector partnerships can offer helpful insights to guide health care’s progress and ensure organizations deploy AI thoughtfully and effectively.
One lesson health care leaders can learn from other industries is the importance of transparency as a key foundational priority for building confidence in AI. To instill trust, organizations must be transparent about when and how they are using AI tools and openly communicate about the tools’ limitations.
In addition, the discussion leaders noted that while safety and transparency are essential to building trust in AI, they are only part of the equation. To truly build confidence in AI tools, executives also must focus on ensuring AI tools add value—whether through improved efficiency, enhanced decision-making, better patient outcomes, or other advancements.
When deployed thoughtfully, AI has the potential to deliver significant benefits across the health care ecosystem—but it is imperative that leaders identify and prioritize safe, responsible, and beneficial opportunities. Ultimately, the discussion leaders emphasized that advancing AI adoption and building confidence in emerging technologies requires purposeful collaboration, strategic direction, and the support of technology partners who can help bring impactful, trustworthy solutions to life.
