Artificial Intelligence Key to Improving Health Care Quality, Reducing Costs, Industry Leaders Say
November 15 2018 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
- OptumIQ survey of health care
executives finds majority (91 percent) confident they will see an
ROI on AI – although not immediately
- First wave of AI implementation focused
on improving processes; combating waste, fraud and abuse; and
maximizing impact of IoT, such as wearable devices
- Investing in the employees who have the
vision and skills to implement AI a priority
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is key to building a better health
care future, according to a recent survey of 500 U.S. health care
leaders on their attitudes and usage of the technologies. Most (94
percent) responded that their organizations continue to invest in
and make progress in implementing AI.
The inaugural OptumIQ Annual Survey on AI in Health Care
indicates a tipping point in the adoption of AI in the industry,
estimating an average investment of $32.4 million per organization
over the next five years. Also among the survey’s findings:
- Health care leaders universally
agree the greatest impact of AI investment will be on improving
health care. Thirty-six percent expect AI will improve the
patient experience; 33 percent anticipate AI will decrease
per-capita cost of care; and 31 percent believe AI will improve
health outcomes.
- Most health care leaders believe AI
can make care more affordable and accessible. Ninety-four
percent of respondents agree that AI technology is the most
reliable path toward equitable, accessible and affordable health
care.
- A positive ROI could be seen in as
soon as four years. Employers (38 percent) and health plans (20
percent) expect ROI sooner – in three years or less – while
hospital executives expect a longer wait of four to five
years.
- Many have plans, but progress is
mixed across sectors. Three-quarters (75 percent) of health
care organizations are actively implementing or have plans to
execute an AI strategy. Forty-two percent of those organizations
have a strategy but have not yet implemented it. Employers are
furthest along, with 22 percent reporting their AI implementations
are at a late stage, with nearly full deployment.
- AI will make care more precise and
faster. The top two benefits respondents expect to see from
incorporating AI into their organizations are more accurate
diagnosis and increased efficiency.
“Artificial intelligence has the potential to transform health
care by helping predict disease and putting the right insights into
the hands of clinicians as they treat patients, which can reduce
the total cost of care,” said Eric Murphy, CEO of OptumInsight.
“Optum works closely with a wide range of health care leaders, who
clearly recognize AI’s potential, to help them execute their
long-term strategies to deliver tangible results on their AI
investments.”
First wave of AI implementationThe survey found that
respondents are looking to AI to solve immediate data challenges –
from routine tasks to truly understanding consumers’ health needs.
Of those health organizations that are already investing in and
implementing AI:
- 43 percent are automating business
processes, such as administrative operations or customer
service;
- 36 percent are using AI to detect
patterns in health care fraud, waste and abuse; and
- 31 percent are using AI to monitor
users with Internet of Things (IoT) devices, such as a wearable
technology
Hiring and training a top priorityWith more organizations
seeing the benefit of adopting an AI strategy, 92 percent agree
that hiring candidates who have experience working with AI
technology is a priority for their organization. As a group,
employers agree most, at 96 percent.
To meet this need, nearly half (45 percent) of health care
leaders estimate that more than 30 percent of new hires will be in
positions requiring engagement with or implementation of AI in the
next 12 months. However, health organizations seeking to hire
experienced staff will likely face talent shortages.
“Analytics isn't the end, it's the beginning – it's what you do
with the insights to drive care improvement and reduce
administrative waste,” said Steve Griffiths, senior vice president
and chief operating officer of Optum Enterprise Analytics. “For AI
to successfully solve health care’s biggest challenges,
organizations need to employ a unique combination of curated data,
analytics and health care expertise – something we call OptumIQ. We
are already seeing a race for AI talent in the industry that will
grow as adoption continues to increase.”
About OptumOptum is a leading information and
technology-enabled health services business dedicated to helping
make the health system work better for everyone. With more than
145,000 people worldwide, Optum delivers intelligent, integrated
solutions that help to modernize the health system and improve
overall population health. Optum is part of UnitedHealth Group
(NYSE:UNH). For more information, visit www.optum.com.
About OptumIQOptumIQ powers intelligence across the
health care system. It represents the unique combination of data,
analytics and health care expertise infused into our products and
services. These capabilities provide our customers with a
comprehensive view of performance, while delivering dynamic and
multidimensional insights that get smarter every day. For more
information, visit www.optum.com/iq.
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Gwen HollidayOptum202-549-3429gwen.m.holliday@optum.com
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