Harvey: Welcome to the GPT podcast.com I'm Harvey along with my co-host Brooks and this is our AI in Healthcare Series. Today, we'll be discussing an announcement from HCA, or Healthcare Corporation of America, and their plans to deploy generative AI.
Brooks: Hold on for a second, Harvey, when you say HCA, you are referring to the same organization which operates over 180 hospitals worldwide, right?
Harvey: Yes Brooks, exactly. This massive healthcare entity has announced today that they are looking to improve their care delivery models by deploying generative AI solutions, an exciting development that involves an expansion of their existing partnership with Google Cloud.
Brooks: That sounds ambitious and transformative. Could you shed more light on what this vision for the use of technology in healthcare looks like?
Harvey: That's a great question, Brooks. Well, HCA's vision is truly patient-centered. They aim to leverage AI technology to ultimately improve patient care, the clinician experience, and the overall care delivery process. One of the key aims is to alleviate burdens created for clinical staff by routine administrative tasks and re-envisioning medical documentation.
Brooks: So, the goal is to harness AI to manage some aspects of administrative work? Like perhaps to create more efficient medical paperwork?
Harvey: That's right, For example, HCA physicians have already started using Google’s AI technology in conjunction with Augmedix, an ambient medic documentation tool, and natural language processing to generate documentation during, or even from, physician-patient encounters. It's like harvesting medical insights in real-time, which goes a long way in helping clinicians.
Brooks: The thought of having AI to assist with documentation sounds incredibly useful. But how about providing direct patient care?
Harvey: Well, that's an interesting point, Another application of this technology lies in what they call clinical 'handoffs’. Handoffs refer to the transition of a patient’s care from one responsible caretaker to another. Studies indicate that handoff process is critical, as it is often the period during which inadvertent mistakes commonly happen due to fatigue or haste.
Brooks: You're suggesting that AI could standardize these ‘handoffs’, make the process more streamlined and consistently effective?
Harvey: Precisely, HCA developed a tool using one of Google Cloud’s LLMs to automatically generate handoff reports. The aim here is to ensure vital details like medication changes, laboratory results, vital sign fluctuations, patient concerns, and overall response to treatment, are not missed out on in the process. This tool reportedly generated draft reports that were praised for their speed, accuracy, and relevance, a big win for patient safety.
Brooks: And it's not just about leveraging AI for efficiency, but also to improve actual effectiveness of healthcare delivery. Fascinating!
Harvey: Yes, it's a comprehensive approach to healthcare transformation. As Aashima Gupta, the Global Director of Healthcare Strategy and Solutions for Google Cloud explained, the size, scope, and scale of HCA present an incredible opportunity to truly create impact for many patients.
Brooks: What do those in charge at HCA think of this partnership, and what could be the keys to its success?
Harvey: Dr. Michael Schlosser, Senior Vice President of Care Transformation and Innovation at HCA, emphasizes the importance to “keep the voice of the caregivers” central to the innovation, and to truly add value to those actually using the product and providing the care. It's about a long-term commitment to growth and impactful healthcare solutions.
Brooks: So, the potential applications for generative AI in healthcare are broader than just paperwork and handoffs?
Harvey: Yes, they certainly are vast, From optimizing the handoff process to automatically creating discharge summaries, improving the electronic health record experience, and deriving better insights from large data sets, the potential use cases for generative AI in healthcare are endless. The partnership of these industry titans, Google Cloud and HCA, instills a sense of hope for meaningful change and truly scalable impact in healthcare.
Brooks: So we're potentially looking at a future where AI plays an increasingly integral role in healthcare systems, nurtured by this kind of long-term commitment from industry leaders. That's an exciting prospect to ponder over, Harvey: I agree, and I think that wraps up today’s episode of our AI in Healthcare Series. Let's continue to watch the unfolding impact of AI, together.