Preparing healthcare organisations for using artificial intelligence effectively.

Abstract

Healthcare organisations (HCOs) must prepare for large-scale implementation of artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled tools that can demonstrably achieve one or more aims of better care, improved efficiency, enhanced professional and patient experience, and greater equity. Failure to do so may disadvantage patients, staff, and the organisation itself. We outline key strategies Australian HCOs should enact in maximising successful AI implementations: (1) establish transparent and accountable governance structures tasked to ensure responsible use of AI, including shifting organisational culture towards AI; (2) invest in delivering the human talent, technical infrastructure, and organisational change management that underpin a sustainable AI ecosystem; (3) gain staff and patient trust in using AI tools by virtue of their value to real world care and minimal threats to patient safety and privacy, existence of reliable governance, provision of appropriate training and opportunity for user co-design, transparency in AI tool use and consent, and retention of user agency in responding to AI generated advice; (4) establish risk assessment and mitigation processes that delineate unacceptable, high, medium, and low risk AI tools, based on task criticality and rigour of performance evaluations, and monitor and respond to any adverse impacts on patient outcomes; and (5) determine when and how liability for patient harm associated with a specific AI tool rests with, or is shared between, staff, developers, and the deploying HCO itself. In realising the benefits of AI, HCOs must build the necessary AI infrastructure, literacy, and cultural adaptation with foresighted planning and procurement of resources.