Healthcare AI is moving at warp speed
It’s 2 a.m. in the ER, and a physician is asking the hospital’s new AI assistant to summarize a patient’s chart. The cursor spins for minutes while the AI tool waits on the decades-old database underneath to answer, something it was never designed to do. The electronic health record (EHR) system is too old and was not built to keep up with AI’s demands. It’s like asking a 50-year-old runner to…
Healthcare is embracing artificial intelligence (AI) at an astonishing pace, but the underlying electronic health record (EHR) systems are struggling to keep up. ER physicians often ask AI assistants to summarize patient charts, only to be met with frustratingly slow responses as the AI tool waits for outdated databases to respond.
This mismatch between AI's demands and aging EHR systems could lead to catastrophic consequences for patient care. Large health systems and insurers are rapidly integrating AI tools into their platforms, without verifying whether their EHRs can handle the increased load. The problem isn't unique to healthcare; outdated software hinders progress in various industries.
However, healthcare's reliance on patient safety makes it even more critical to address these issues. Rebuilding data architecture is expensive and risky, but ignoring the need for modernization could have disastrous consequences. Healthcare leaders must take three steps: audit their current infrastructure, invest in upgrades, and create a multiyear roadmap for modernization. Failure to do so could result in a crisis that could have been prevented with proper planning.
Written by urgent.news from Fast Company's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
