However, the company has inked deals with major EHR vendors and leading health systems to integrate its AI into their workflows. This includes the Vertex AI Search for Healthcare tool, which has been rapidly adopted since its launch last March. This tool has recently been upgraded to be multimodal, meaning it can now understand images as well as text, allowing it to analyze charts and scans for relevant information.
Despite the growing use of AI in healthcare, there are concerns about potential errors and biases in the technology. Issues such as hallucinations, omissions, and model drift can impact the reliability of AI models over time. Additionally, the lack of oversight and regulation in the industry poses challenges for widespread adoption.
In a recent interview with Aashima Gupta, the head of healthcare for Google Cloud, she discussed the company’s work in health AI and the future of the technology. Gupta highlighted the importance of multimodal AI in healthcare, citing its ability to save clinicians time by automatically extracting and contextualizing information from different forms of medical data.
Gupta also expressed excitement about the concept of agentic AI, which goes beyond task-based generative AI to offer AI agents that can think multiple steps ahead and plan unique strategies to achieve specific goals. She envisions a future where AI agents can help healthcare professionals streamline their workflows and improve efficiency.
Google’s focus on providing a platform for healthcare organizations to build and manage AI agents sets them apart in the industry. By offering tools like Gemini, a large language model, and a search functionality based on clinical knowledge, Google aims to empower healthcare providers to make informed decisions and optimize their operations.
While Google does not publicly disclose the number of healthcare organizations using its AI, the company’s partnerships with EHR vendors and health systems indicate a growing interest in leveraging AI technology to improve patient care and streamline healthcare processes. As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, AI is expected to play a crucial role in driving innovation and transforming the delivery of care. Healthcare organizations like Basset Health, Highmark Health, Mayo Clinic, and HCA are embracing generative AI technology to revolutionize their operations. This innovative AI is not only streamlining prior authorization submissions and enhancing radiology workflows but also addressing burnout issues in the industry. Unlike traditional technology adoption in healthcare, generative AI is moving rapidly from pilot phases to full-scale implementation.
Although agentic AI is still a newer concept in healthcare, companies are beginning to adapt to its capabilities. One key concern with AI technology is its potential for errors. To address this, organizations are implementing robust evaluation frameworks and human oversight to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the AI models. By incorporating feedback loops and continuous monitoring, healthcare providers are able to improve the effectiveness of the AI systems and mitigate errors such as hallucinations and omissions.
While the Biden administration had plans to establish a federal governance framework for health AI, the focus has shifted under the Trump administration towards deregulation. Despite Google’s own AI principles and processes, there is a belief that external regulation is necessary to ensure the responsible use of AI in healthcare. The industry is closely monitoring government actions and remains committed to sharing best practices and collaborating on oversight measures.
As the healthcare community navigates the evolving landscape of AI regulation, organizations are prioritizing the integration of AI technology into administrative tasks where its impact can be effectively managed. With a focus on transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement, healthcare providers are leveraging AI to drive efficiencies and enhance patient care.
