Health system CIOs and digital leaders are rapidly integrating AI and automation into daily workflows for clinical and administrative teams. Their work has already transformed operations and traditional healthcare teams, and more change is to come.
“In the next two years, healthcare IT teams will rapidly evolve, driven by accelerated digital transformation with strong emphasis on AI / ML for diagnostics and efficiency, robust cybersecurity to protect patient data, advanced data analytics for improved outcomes and the continued expansion of telehealth and cloud computing,” said Zafar Chaudry, MD, senior vice president and chief digital officer and chief AI and information officer at Seattle Children’s.
Health systems are doubling down on new IT roles and skills to strengthen their organizations for the future. Emerging roles include:
- AI / ML specialists
- Cybersecurity analysts
- Healthcare data scientists
- Clinical informatics specialists
- Cloud architects
- Prompt engineering
These high-demand roles require data analysis, AI proficiency, security protocols and cloud management experience, according to Dr. Chaudry. Health systems are upskilling current team members and hiring new experts, both from within healthcare and outside of it.
AI and digital technology are changing traditional roles. Automation is eliminating the need for humans to engage in certain activities and drastically reducing human involvement in others. Health systems often offer team members the ability to change roles, receive additional training or work toward promotions as they begin automating tasks.
“Healthcare is entering a period of rapid transformation and the workforce will need to adapt to stay effective in this shifting landscape,” said Minal Shah, MD, medical director of virtual care, hospital medicine and system physician informaticist at CommonSpirit Health. “First, AI technology will continue to grow in its capability and precision. Health systems that focus on upskilling their clinicians in tech literacy, AI integration and AI validation will maximize the impact of their workforce.”
The traditional roles and skills fading with automation and AI include:
- Medical transcription
- Basic administrative data entry
- Roles depending on transactional work
- Rule-based tasks
“For administrative roles, AI will act as a trusted colleague, offloading tedious manual tasks and allowing employees to focus on human-centered work,” said Dr. Shah. “At CommonSpirit Health, we’re preparing for this shift through initiatives like our AI Learning Academy, which teaches employees how to effectively use emerging technology.”
Leadership is also evolving with AI and automation capabilities; those who embrace the technology and effectively support their teams will thrive.
“Creativity and innovation will continue to drive the evolution of roles within hospitals,” said Lisa Carter, southern regional president at Johnson City, Tenn.-based Ballad Health. “Fading are traditional ways of operating within the healthcare industry. Teams will need leaders who remain curious about redesigning how care is delivered and how we can continue to improve efficiencies and decrease overall healthcare costs. Over the next two years, how teams adopt and champion generative AI will be critical in achieving future success.”
Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic already has a blueprint for what leadership should look like with AI. Anjali Bhagra, MD, medical director for automation at Mayo Clinic, said the organization is focused on building teams that are “empowered, digitally adept and aligned around shared outcomes.”
“These teams include clinician leaders who embrace AI insights, operational leaders skilled in process design and technical professionals who understand the nuances of healthcare delivery,” said Dr. Bhangra. “We’re not just adding roles, but are cultivating capabilities such as ethical AI stewardship, human-centered design, prompt engineering and adaptive thinking.”
The leaders featured in this article will speak at the Becker’s 10th Annual Health IT + Digital Health + Revenue Cycle Conference Sept. 30-Oct. 3 in Chicago. Click here to learn more and register.
