The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing Sept. 3 to examine the potential benefits and challenges of AI in healthcare.
Here are five takeaways from the hearing:
- Lawmakers heard testimony and posed questions about how AI could improve coordination between physicians and pharmacists, advance drug discovery and diagnosis, and lower costs for consumers, according to a Sept. 3 news release from the committee.
- Subcommittee Chair Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., opened the session by noting the growing use of AI to assist patients, support providers and reduce administrative tasks. “Applications of AI and machine learning have increased across the healthcare sector in recent years and will only play a more pronounced role in the daily lives of all Americans moving forward,” Mr. Griffith said.
- Rep. Diana Harshbarger, R-Tenn., asked witnesses about using automation to strengthen community pharmacies in rural areas. One panelist, identified as Mr. Toy, said AI could help bridge communication gaps between prescribers and pharmacists by tailoring information to both patients and clinicians.
- Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., raised the issue of whether patients should expect more than administrative savings from AI tools. Witness Mr. Parker responded that while cost reduction is important, future applications such as personalized care plans and pricing transparency could deliver greater benefits to patients.
- Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y., said AI is “already transforming the way we deliver care, how we diagnose disease, and how we use data to improve outcomes,” adding that rural communities in his district are looking to the technology to improve access and efficiency.
The hearing — titled “Examining Opportunities to Advance American Health Care through the Use of Artificial Intelligence Technologies” — is part of ongoing congressional efforts to explore the policy implications of emerging healthcare technologies.
The full hearing can be found here.
