Healthcare organizations face many challenges. These include rising costs, more patients needing care, staff shortages, and complicated paperwork. AI offers ways to help with these problems by automating tasks, helping with decisions, and making operations run smoother.
In 2024, surveys from groups like the American Hospital Association (AHA) and McKinsey show that 85% of U.S. health system leaders want to use AI. This group includes hospital bosses, clinical managers, and IT directors who work to improve healthcare services.
Key reasons for this include:
Many big health systems have started trying out or fully using AI solutions. They often work with technology companies or cloud service providers who are experts at managing data.
Bringing AI into healthcare organizations is not simple and needs good planning. Success depends on three main parts, according to the AHA Center for Health Innovation:
Among health leaders surveyed, 61% choose to partner with outside vendors to create custom AI solutions. Some try to build AI skills inside their organizations (20%) or buy ready-made products (19%). Existing IT partners and cloud providers often play a big role because they know how to manage data well.
These different approaches reflect the variety of healthcare groups in the U.S., from big hospitals to small independent practices. Each must match AI plans to their workflows, patients’ needs, and budgets.
Health leaders mostly feel good about AI, but the public has mixed feelings. A 2023 Pew Research Center survey found:
Still, people support some AI uses like skin cancer screening, where AI has shown reliable results. Over half think AI might help reduce bias based on race or ethnicity. But people also worry about data privacy, being clear about how AI is used, and the relationship between patients and doctors.
These opinions show that while AI has benefits, healthcare providers need to use it carefully to keep patient trust and make sure humans stay in charge.
The newest type of AI, called generative AI (GenAI), is growing in healthcare. It can create useful content, look through lots of data, and help with decisions. A 2024 McKinsey survey shows 85% of healthcare leaders have started or are thinking about using GenAI. This tech helps improve administrative tasks, clinical work, patient engagement, and IT systems.
Simbo AI is an example of a company that uses AI for front-office phone tasks. Phone systems usually take a lot of staff time and can have mistakes or delays. AI tools like Simbo AI automate answering calls, scheduling appointments, and answering patient questions. This helps healthcare groups:
This is useful because many healthcare groups have trouble handling lots of calls, especially in busy city clinics where scheduling is always tricky.
A 2025 Future Ready Healthcare Survey by Wolters Kluwer says 80% of healthcare workers see workflow improvement as a main benefit of generative AI. Reducing burnout, which 76% say is a big problem, is a key reason why automating routine work is important.
AI chatbots and virtual helpers can handle repetitive tasks like paperwork, insurance checks, and patient follow-ups. They also help with clinical notes by creating drafts or summarizing visits. This lets doctors spend more time with patients.
At the same time, only 63% of healthcare staff think their organizations are ready to use AI well. This means better planning and rules are still needed.
Ethics and data privacy are important when using AI in healthcare. Leaders know AI must be made and used responsibly to avoid bias and keep patient info safe.
Healthcare providers need to make sure:
The AHA’s “Artificial Intelligence Action Plan for Health Care” highlights these points as part of building trustworthy AI programs.
Some well-known U.S. healthcare organizations show how AI is changing care:
These examples show AI’s use in many areas, from helping doctors make decisions to making administration more efficient.
Health leaders see AI as a way to improve patient care and help their organizations last longer.
They believe AI can:
Investing in AI helps prepare healthcare groups for growing patient numbers and tighter budgets.
For medical practice administrators and IT managers, using AI means careful planning:
The mix of AI and workflow automation is important for healthcare administration. Automating routine tasks makes operations smoother and improves patient satisfaction by cutting wait times and mistakes.
Important areas where AI helps include:
These changes reduce paperwork, improve accuracy, and make care smoother. AI supports healthcare’s main goal: giving timely and personal care that works well.
In summary, U.S. healthcare leaders value AI for making healthcare delivery better and more effective as challenges change. For medical practice managers and IT staff, using AI—especially to automate front-office tasks like scheduling and communication—can improve clinical and financial results. With good planning, rules, and training, AI will play an important role in healthcare technology’s future.
AI has the potential to transform health care delivery by improving organizational and patient care outcomes, streamlining administrative tasks, augmenting diagnostic decisions, and reducing costs. It can enhance every aspect of health care, from appointment scheduling to complex clinical procedures.
According to a recent survey, 85% of health system leaders cited AI as the ‘most exciting emerging technology for health care.’
The three pillars are ensuring the right people, processes, and technology are in place to effectively integrate AI into health care delivery.
Key challenges include data privacy, bias, and the need for human expertise, which must be managed to implement AI responsibly and effectively.
The report serves as a playbook and roadmap for health care executives looking to expand their adoption of AI, outlining strategies for resource allocation.
The report highlights seven hospitals and health systems that are navigating AI opportunities and challenges, demonstrating varied approaches to implementing AI action plans.
AI is enhancing disease management, promoting wellness, and improving operational efficiency and affordability in health care services.
AI is easing appointment scheduling by automating processes that traditionally required significant administrative effort, leading to increased efficiency in patient management.
AI is already transforming care and care delivery today, with hospitals actively integrating AI-assisted methods to improve services for patients and organizations.
An effective AI action plan includes foundational building blocks, followed by a systematic approach to identifying, vetting, and executing AI pilots and projects tailored to specific organizational needs.