Philips 2024 Future Health Informatics Results

Health informatics leaders live and breathe data. They're passionate about data because they recognize its clinical value. They use data to monitor and improve administrative procedures, manage patient demand, improve workflow, and provide clinicians with the data they need to treat patients in a timely, effective, and efficient manner. It's clear from the results of this year's Future Health Index (FHI) — an independent annual survey of nearly 3,000 healthcare professionals across 14 countries — that health informatics leaders are turning to digital solutions like AI and generative AI to alleviate staffing shortages and provide timely, quality care.

“At a time when healthcare systems are looking to reduce costs and use limited human resources more efficiently, AI and generative AI are emerging as powerful allies. Mining the vast datasets of information hospitals generate today can provide valuable insights in areas such as disease prevention and social determinants of health, helping to keep patients healthier and prevent hospitalizations, reducing the strain on both clinicians and healthcare budgets,” said Shez Partovi, chief innovation and strategy officer at Philips. “Yet, the promise of AI also comes with a clear call for a focus on the responsible and ethical use of AI in healthcare.”

Fewer staff, more patients with complex needs

Increasing patient demands and case complexity mean that clinicians not only need to see more patients, but also spend more time with each patient. In the short term, recruiting more clinicians is a nearly insurmountable challenge. There is a global shortage of trained clinicians, and rates of professional burnout due to excessive workload are already high. More than four-fifths (82%) of health informatics leaders responding to the 2024 FHI survey say wait times and delays due to staff shortages are a problem. More than two-fifths (41%) say staff shortages have increased patient-to-staff ratios, and more than a third (37%) say shortages have negatively affected the work-life balance of hospital staff and increased the likelihood that staff will leave the hospital (37%).

Virtual care eases staff shortages and expands specialized care to underserved areas

One area of ​​technology that is having a significant positive impact is virtual care, a communications technology that enables communication between remote patients and providers, and between healthcare professionals, so clinicians can work more productively, patients can receive care, and chronic conditions can be more easily managed. More than two-fifths (41%) of health informatics leaders surveyed say virtual care has created new career opportunities for healthcare professionals to work remotely and alleviated staffing shortages. The same percentage (41%) said virtual care has expanded specialty care to underserved communities. Health informatics leaders surveyed cited medication adherence and chronic disease management as areas where they are using virtual care.

Data is plentiful, but insights are scarce

A typical hospital generates around 50 petabytes of data per year, but the vast majority of it goes unused. It's estimated that the unused amount is as much as 97%. This doesn't mean the data doesn't contain useful information; it's just that the tools to extract meaningful insights from the data in traditional ways are too time-consuming. AI can help solve this challenge.

More than half (51%) of health informatics leaders say data-driven insights can help reduce disparities in health outcomes by identifying and addressing delays in care delivery. Many leaders (45%) also cited targeted outreach, customized interventions, and identifying social determinants of health as potential benefits. These are all areas where AI can help generate important insights. The majority (92%) of health informatics professionals surveyed are currently investing in generative AI or plan to do so within the next three years. More than half are already using AI for in-hospital patient monitoring (55%) and medication management (50%). Additionally, nearly half (47%) cited preventive care as one of the main areas where they are using AI for clinical decision support. This is a clear sign that one of the best ways to alleviate staffing shortages is to reduce the need for hospitalizations and acute care. Remote patient monitoring, radiology, and clinical command centers were the top areas planned for AI implementation over the next three years.

Training based on real-world data, using AI responsibly

Health informatics leaders not only recognize the power of AI, but equally recognize the need to use it responsibly. The majority (87%) are somewhat concerned about the possibility of data bias in AI applications, pointing to the need for policies on ethical use of data and AI, staff diversity, diverse and representative data collection, and transparency as ways to mitigate it.

While there were initial concerns about using AI in healthcare, it's clear that both clinicians and hospital administrators are now beginning to recognize the potential of AI to assist clinicians in their work and address global healthcare challenges. However, it remains important that AI is trained on real-world data and used responsibly.

For more insights from healthcare informatics leaders and recognition from cardiology and radiology leaders around the world, read the Future Health Index 2024 Global Report.