Only half of hospital leaders are conversant in AI and robotic process automation (RPA) technologies aimed at achieving nonclinical efficiencies. However, 23% want to invest in the technologies today and some 50% say they’ll do so by 2021.
So found the healthcare digital workforce company Olive and the management consulting firm Sage Growth Partners when they surveyed 115 hospital CFOs and CIOs, along with directors and managers of revenue-cycle and supply-chain functions.
Olive posted the results online Aug. 6.
The researchers further found that respondents familiar with AI and RPA are twice as likely as their less-informed peers to implement AI for nonclinical workflow challenges related to data management.
Cutting costs by boosting efficiency is a high priority, only lagging behind improving quality of care and improving patient satisfaction/engagement in the minds of the leaders.
Meanwhile fewer than half could name a single vendor or product in the AI or RPA categories.
“As an industry, healthcare is united by a mission to deliver better patient care, and a huge barrier to delivering that promise is the challenge that 1 in every 3 dollars is spent on administrative expenses,” commented Olive’s chief marketing officer Rebecca Hellmann. “Imagine what could be done if more resources were available to focus on patient care.”
Dave P. has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for more than 30 years, frequently concentrating on hospitals, healthcare technology and Catholic communications. He has also specialized in fundraising communications, ghostwriting for CEOs of local, national and global charities, nonprofits and foundations.