Bain & Company is back at it again with more generative AI research, this time offering a series of ways for providers to get the most out of the tech without falling into potholes of hype.
The in-depth report gives a comprehensive overview of the current generative AI landscape, and delivers solid insight into the priorities of health system executives (N=94):
- Top use case priorities (next 12 months): charge capture & reconciliation (39), structuring & analysis of patient data (37), workflow optimization (36). [Chart 1]
- Top use case priorities (2-5 years): predictive analytics & risk stratification (44), clinical decision support (41), diagnostics & treatment recommendations (37). [Chart 2]
- Biggest barriers to implementation: resource constraints (46), lack of technical expertise (46), regulatory & legal considerations (33). [Chart 3]
Start small to go big. Although the survey itself included some valuable stats, the spotlight was stolen by Bain’s particularly pragmatic framework for guiding new implementations.
- Pilot low-risk applications with a narrow focus. Bain found that the systems already seeing the most success with generative AI are testing solutions in low-risk use cases where they already have the right data and can create tight guardrails (chatbot support, scheduling, rev cycle).
- Decide to acquire, partner, or build. Bain recommends that CEOs think about different use cases based on availability of third-party tech and importance of the initiative.
- Funnel experience into bigger initiatives. As generative AI starts to mature, organizations that gain experience and strategy alignment today will be best positioned for the more transformative use cases once they become clear.
- Generative AI isn’t a strategy unto itself. Bain found that the trait separating top CEOs is their discipline, ensuring that every generative AI initiative reinforces their overarching goals as opposed to implementing shiny bells and whistles.
The Takeaway
It’s easy to get caught up in the generative AI hype cycle, so it was refreshing to see Bain recommend the one-foot-in-front-of-the-other approach to new implementations. Nearly every hospital boardroom is debating a massive list of potential AI investments, and although the home run use cases will be here soon, the consensus strategy for getting on base seems to be making low-risk plays with an immediate impact.
